The 2018 Singapore Summit: A Milestone towards Solution to the Korean Crisis?
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The 2018 Singapore Summit: A Milestone
towards Solution to the Korean Crisis?
POLICY BRIEF / JUNE 2018
AUTHOR:
NODAR PKHALADZEThe 2018 Singapore Summit: A Milestone
towards Solution to the Korean Crisis?
Policy Brief – Nodar Pkhaladze, June 2018
The case of Korean Conflict has been the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
one of the hot topics in International Naturally, the removal of nuclear
Relations. It is especially relevant missiles from North Korea won't
today, as talks about the possibility of happen in a single day after the summit,
denuclearization of the North Korea but the fact that leaders were willing to
were recently held at the Singapore hold such significant summit together
Summit. Once again, the possibility shows signs of a certain progress and
shows up for the 65 years old conflict to leaves hope for the solution of this long
be resolved, though one has to realize conflict.
that the process of eliminating
hostilities and disputes on Korean Korean Summits of 2000 & 2007
Peninsula will take longer time. One of Since the armistice negotiations of
the reasons that makes this case so 1953-54, the Korean Peninsula has been
complicated is the fact that interests of
officially divided into North and South
many international actors are (Boose 2000: 114-116). Even though the
intersected in Korea. agreement was signed by both parties,
there have been several attempts of
The first part of this paper will focus on invasion from the North since then. The
the steps that have been taken so far in aggression and hostilities haven't
order to resolve the conflict and to ceased on either side (Boose 2000: 116).
estabish a lasting peace. Thus, we will Nevertheless, over those 65 years, there
mention the inter-Korean summits of were several attempts of negotiations
years 2000 and 2007. The following and peace talks at the Korean
section will talk about the events of the Demilitarized Zone. The first step
Korean Olympic Games where political towards the history of peace talks
representatives of North and South between Koreas took place in 2000
Korea showed willingness for a dialogue (Shin 2018). 18 years ago, South Korean
in a symbolic context. One of the key President Kim Dae-jung and North
factors to look into is the US Secretary Korean leader Kim Jong-il met in
of State Mike Pompeo’s visits to the Pyongyang to hold a first inter-Korean
North Korea, and also, the 3rd inter- Summit. This was the first time for the
Korean summit of April 2018, where the North and South Korean leaders held a
leaders of North and South Korea held meeting in 50 years since the Korean
talks and have reached a joined War. The adopted peace agreement had
statement. Finally, there will be analysis several concrete ideas regarding the
of the recent denuclearization summit, Korean re-unification (United States
where a joint agreement was signed by Institute of Peace 2000) such as the
the US President Donald Trump and government type model; further
POLICY BRIEF | June 2018cooperation in spheres such as cultural, states (USA, China, Russia, Japan,
economic, health, and environment; North and South Korea) were working
working together to overcome political- on an implementation of a
ideological differences, to reduce denuclearization deal, according to
military tensions, and to create a special which Pyongyang had to give up its
peace zone. After the summit, there pursuit of nuclear programme (Shin
were series of reunification programs of 2018). In return, North Korea should
families that were separated by the have been released from diplomatic
Korean War at the beginning of 50 s isolation and receive a significant
(Shin 2018). Kim Dae-jung won the amount of economic aid. At the end of
Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his the summit, an eight-point statement
efforts. was created, which was based upon the
key principals of the previous 2000
This summit was part of the famous declaration (Shin 2018). Unfortunately,
"Sunshine Policy", which nowadays is this summit was not able to stop North
perceived by many as a failed attempt Korea's nuclear development program.
(Park, 2017) (although, there is a Furthermore, the next South Korean
possibility of its revival after the recent government decided to abolish the
summit). This program was meant to "Sunshine Policy" and resort to hardline
promote peace in Korean Peninsula by approach (VOA 2010).
reducing armed tensions and promote
joint cooperation. However, despite the A New Era of Korean Détente
diplomatic effort, many promises that
came from the North Korean regime Roughly 11 years after the second
were left unfulfilled. Moreover, North summit, the South Korean Olympic
Korea continued to pursue its nuclear Games took place. Usually, Olympic
program. As it later turned out, the Games hold strong symbolic meanings
summit was not particularly achieved and the 2018 Winter Olympics in
because of both countries willingness to PyeongChang were no exception.
participate. Three years after, it was Alongside other symbolical aspects, the
revealed that the North Korean world witnessed a truly unique gesture
government was bribed by the South to from the North and South Korean
allow for the meeting to take place (The athletes when they participated as a
New York Times, 2003). united team. Moreover, sister of Kim
Jong-un visited the South Korean
The second summit of the year 2007 President Moon Jae-in. She delivered a
was supposed to re-affirm statement of message from the North Korean leader
the 2000 inter-Korean summit (Shin stating that the South Korean President
2018). Roh Moo-hyun, the President of was invited to North (Fifield and Parker
South Korean who shared Kim Dae- 2018). Shortly after the Olympics, it was
jung’s liberal ideas, held a meeting with announced that the 3rd inter-Korean
Kim Jong-il in 2007. The summit took Summit would be held.
place as a result of diplomatic efforts of
the six countries which were supposed
to lead denuclearisation talks. Those six
POLICY BRIEF | June 2018In April 2018, the Chairman of President Donald Trump would be
Democratic People's Republic of Korea holding meeting with the North Korean
Kim Jong-un, and the President of the leader regarding the denuclearization
South Korea, Moon Jae-in, hold a program. However, several issues came
meeting in a village near the Korean up. First of all, there were still questions
DMZ (Campbell 2018) during which it regarding the actual process of
was agreed that a summit will be held denuclearization, which required
later in the year 2018 to start the further clarification. Secondly, in May
process of Korean Peninsula's Donald Trump cancelled his scheduled
denuclearization. Together with that, travel to Singapore (where the
the leaders of both countries pledged to denuclearization summit was planned
further cooperation between each other to be held) in an open letter to Kim
and reduce the military tensions that Jong-un (Morris 2018). Below the
have been escalating years before. Once typical 'thanking passage' of the letter,
again, it was agreed upon to later Trump openly blamed the North
transform the Korean Armistice Korean side for expressing hostile
Agreement into a full peace treaty to rhetoric towards the USA and said that
formally end the Korean War (Campbell it would be a "missed opportunity" for
2018). both countries, as well as, for the rest of
the world to hold the peace talks
Compared to previous two summits, the (Morris 2018). Nevertheless, in the last
third one had a pure symbolic meaning, two paragraphs, Trump stated that he
and therefore it was not as influential as would be still looking forward to
the first one. The nuclear testing dialogue and meeting Kim Jong-un in
programs have been paused for now, person, despite the circumstances. He
though they might resume soon just as also thanked the North Korean leader
it happened before. Apart from that for releasing three American hostages
there was an evident disagreement and allowing them to return home,
between North and South Korea over saying it was a "beautiful gesture"
the precise meaning of (Morris 2018). Together with this
"denuclearization"(Campbell 2018). statement, Trump added that if Kim
The South believed that both sides Jong-un changed his anti-US rhetoric,
should have reduced nuclear tensions, then the American side would gladly
with North Korea making more effort. reconsider the meeting.
Kim Jong-un, however, viewed that
"denuclearization of the Korean On the 12th June 2018, the US President
Peninsula" meant reducing nuclear Donald Trump and Chairman Kim
capabilities of the South Korean-US Jong-un of the Democratic People's
side mainly. Republic of Korea held a first historic
summit in Singapore as it was originally
The 2018 Singapore Summit planned (Reuters 2018). The in-depth
talks primarily focused on launching of
Shortly after the 3rd inter-Korean new US-DPRK relations and ensuring
summit, it was announced that the US of a long-term peace on the Korean
POLICY BRIEF | June 2018Peninsula. Both sides expressed their negotiations, led by the US Secretary of
commitment to the cause. Donald State Mike Pompeo, and a relevant
Trump committed to provide security high-level DPRK official, to implement
guarantees to the DPRK, while Kim the outcomes of the US-DPRK summit.
Jong-un reaffirmed his firm position The groundwork for actual relation-
regarding the complete building was prepared and concrete
denuclearization of the Korean actions need to be taken.
Peninsula. At the end of the summit a
joint statement was released where the Despite a significant achievement, there
following points are supposed to be the are still many questions left. How
main action plan for the actors (Reuters exactly the US-DPRK relations will
2018): manifest? How will be the
denuclearization process completed?
• The United States and the DPRK How will nuclear capabilities be
commit to establish new US-DPRK reduced proportionally? For now, just
relations in accordance with the one thing is clear. The US sanctions on
desire of the people of the two North Korea will continue to be
countries for peace and prosperity. implemented until the concrete results
• The United States and DPRK will are presented.
join their efforts to build a lasting
and stable peace regime on the Mixed Reactions to the Summit
Korean Peninsula.
Apart from those questions, there have
• Reaffirming the April 27, 2018
been different remarks/opinions
Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK
regarding the meeting. While some,
commits to work toward complete
especially South Korean side, see this as
denuclearization of the Korean
a major historical achievement in peace
Peninsula
sector and possibly the solution of the
• The United States and the DPRK last conflict from the Cold War era,
commit to recovering POW/MIA
others are viewing this quite sceptically
remains, including the immediate
(Ma 2018). Some think that the US will
repatriation of those already not honour the deal and be the first to
identified.
back from the agreement. To support
their statement, they bring the
Naturally, this summit can be argument of Iranian case, where the US
considered as one of the major steps in
recently withdrew from the JCPOA,
the peace-building process. Now, the
while all the remaining major powers to
crucial task for the United States and this day try to salvage this nuclear
the DPRK is to continue their pursuit
agreement (RFE/RL, 2018). Some even
for this mutual goal and further
argue that Donald Trump's 'friendly'
cooperation in this sphere as the direct attitude with the Korean leader during
dialogue was already established. As
the summit, almost seems like a
stated after the summit, the both
support of the dictator regime, which is
countries want to maintain the dialogue infamous for human rights violations
though a series of follow-on
(Ma, 2018).
POLICY BRIEF | June 2018However, to draw a historic parallel, the consider how hostile character of the
so-called 'friendly' attitude of the US relation between the DPRK and USA
President towards Kim Jong-un in the usually is. It should also be mentioned
frameworks of the 2018 Singapore that right before the Singapore summit,
summit, was reminiscent of the attitude Kim Jong-un ordered several high-
of the West relation towards the first ranking military officials to be fired
Russian President, Boris Yeltsin. (Smith, 2018). This could be considered
Granted both political figures are as another gesture that the North was
different, though there is a certain seriously willing to hold peace talks
similarity. The rhetoric of the West did with the US.
change in regards to the new president,
when the latter agreed to start West- Conclusion
Russian relations anew (Office of the
After looking at all major proposals and
Historian, n. d.). Both Europe and USA
attempts towards peace, it becomes
believed that Russia was becoming
evident how challenging the current
more open towards the negotiations
situation is. By comparing all the inter-
and therefore reduced pressure on
Korean summits and the
subjects such as human rights
denuclearization summit of Singapore,
violations, Russia's hostile foreign
it can be said that at this point the
policy towards its neighbours and
outcome is not clear yet. The previous
several other issue areas, since the
summits showed how despite various
thought that it was possible to find the
attempts to start peaceful negotiations
common ground with that government
with the North, many of their promises
more, than its historical predecessor,
were left unfulfilled. Moreover, North
the USSR (Office of the Historian, n. d.).
Korea has been continuing its nuclear
programs and openly threatening US
As mentioned before, cases of Russia
allies such as South Korea and Japan.
and North Korea have vast number of
differences. Despite that, it is evident
One could say that the aggressive
that the Western powers tend to often
responses of the US lead to current
soften their rhetoric towards the
peace talks to be held, but one must also
dictator regimes when there is a
consider previously mentioned factors.
possibility for mutual talks on an
Before the denuclearization summit,
important issue such as a question of
North Korea released several US
denuclearization. At such times, the
hostages during Mike Pence's visit.
West, just as the US now, opts not to
Additionally, right before the summit
pressure the other side of negotiations
North Korean leader changed his high
table too much about their
ranking military advisors. The timing of
disagreements and possible violations
these actions was perfect thus, it can be
of the international law, as that might
seen as a well-planned gesture, not as a
result in sinking of the deal. And deals
mere coincidence. The summit of 2000
such as the recent one from Singapore,
had some concrete results,
do not happen very often. It is even
nevertheless, it is too early to say
more valuable diplomatic success if we
whether the 2018 Singapore summit
POLICY BRIEF | June 2018agreement will be fulfilled. However,
the summit can be now considered as a
historic success, as it greatly reduced
the tensions which were present
beforehand. Only a year ago, the whole
world was on edge of a nuclear war
when North Korea launched nuclear
missiles near the Guam base in Japan.
This summit gave a good groundwork
for working towards peace, which
should be utilized to the full. At the end,
only time will reveal the results.
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