South Korea: Appeasing the North?

SOUTH KOREA --The South Korean government insists that it is concerned about the North's nuclear capabilities. But its actions suggest otherwise. In 1998, the government began the so-called "Sunshine Policy" of offering unconditional economic and humanitarian aid to North Korea. The hope was that engaging the secretive and dangerous nation would encourage reform and openness. Under the agreement, North Korea promised that it would not threaten South Korea. The South Koreans agreed not to take steps to absorb the North. For the last eight years, the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-Il has done everything but violate his end of the bargain. Last year, as North Korea built its nuclear capabilities, South Korea delivered more than $325 million in aid to the North. Sohn Kwang-Joo was a top analyst in South Korea's intelligence agency. "In early 2000, evidence emerged that the South Korean government provided a bunch of black money to the regime in North Korea," said Kwang-Joo. "Some of that money was used to build the North's nuclear bomb. There's also evidence that Kim Jong-Il exploited South Korean money to build his armed forces." Despite the North's nuclear blast last month and several missile tests in July, South Korea has continued to embrace the communist regime. Two high-profile joint economic projects on the North-South border have drawn sharp criticism from the United States: Tourist trips to Mount Kumgang in the North, and the creation of a South Korean economic park that when finished could provide $1 billion or more a year for the regime in North Korea. The projects have so far been cash cows for the Kim Jong-Il regime. Seoul said it will not suspend these activities in the North. On the streets of Seoul, there has been mixed reaction to their country's policy of engagement. "I think we need to be more aggressive with North Korea. We have to demand that they change and do a better job of reforming themselves. We cannot just give and not get anything in return," said one South Korean citizen. Another said, "The Sunshine Policy should continue. They are part of our history and we must continue to talk to them and engage them" The Sunshine Policy has deeply influenced perceptions in South Korea. Polls show a surge of trust toward the North and growing hostility to the United States and the nearly 30,000 American troops stationed here. In a rare compliment, North Korea's Stalinist leader praised a recent South Korean movie depicting U.S. troops in a negative light. The movie was a blockbuster hit among South Koreans. When CBN asked university Professor Andrei Lankov, if the South was essentially appeasing North Korea he said, "Yes, because it does not have any choice." He said the South Korean government is reluctant to support stronger measures against the North. It fears that a political collapse could lead to millions of refugees coming across its border. "The major worry for them is they have seen German unification. They saw that German unification was destructive and they have made their mess and they know that in their case unification is likely to be far more expensive than it was the case in Germany. They don't want to pay," said Lankov. While the North's economy has collapsed, the South has become a wealthy nation. South Korea today has the 10th largest economy in the world. A war on the peninsula would be devastating for us," said one South Korean. A recent survey found that 65 percent of South Koreans now want their own nuclear program. "We should have ours too," said one South Korean citizen. "How can we defend ourselves otherwise against the North?" But others say it is time to put an end to this culture of fear that has gripped South Korea. One citizen said, "We've been so careful in the past not to aggravate the situation for fear that the North will test their weapons on us. We cannot live like this anymore. We have to be more aggressive with them."