Discussions on drawing the change of North Korea in line with the change of Korea-America and Korea-China relations along with the change in the political situation in Northeast Asia were held in LA on May 21.

The forum was held in the Los Angeles area where the largest number of overseas Koreans in America lives; their political influence on the American political arena was exercised greatly on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of national independence and division of Korea. A total of 200 people attended the forum, including American experts in various fields, local members of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), and leaders of local Korean societies in the region.

At least 10 experts from the Korea and US sides exchanged various views on the subject of 「Unification of the Korean Peninsula and Korea-US Relations: Subject and Vision」 to discuss how to enhance Korea-US collaboration for unification, roles of the Korea-US alliance in maintaining peace in Northeast Asia, and convenience and benefit expected from the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

The opening ceremony of the forum proceeded with the delivery of the opening speech by Choi Jae-hyun, head of the LA municipal chapter of NUAC, congratulatory address by Kim Hyun-myung, Korean consul general to LA, welcome speech by Kim Ki-chol, Vice-chairperson of the Americas Assembly, and keynote address by Park Chan-bong, Secretary General of NUAC.

The system competition between South and North Korea was already over in the 1990s, and the possibility of unifying the Korean Peninsula has been increasing with the collapse of the communism system, end of the cold war, unification of Germany, and other external elements,” Park said in his keynote address.

He added that the participation of North Korea and neighboring countries is required to achieve a unified Korea, and that, for the vision of a unified Korea, the social system should be based on free democracy and market economy. According to him, a Unified Korea will improve the happiness of the people living in the Northeast Asian region by promoting peace and common prosperity among them.

Prof. Patrick Morgan from the Political Science Dept. of the University of California presided over the first session titled “Korea-US Collaboration for Unification.”

“The current economic system of North Korea can be said to be characterized by the ‘Appearance of Market Enterprises with a Cap of Socialism on the Head’; they put the doorplate of a commercial organization operated by its political party, the government, and the military, but private investment actually manages the markets very broadly. Still, improper relationship with international societies and poor export sales of the country do not help North Korea in achieving remarkable economic performance, as what China did in the second half of the 1980s,” said Park Hyung-jung, senior researcher of the Korea Institute for National Unification.

According to Internal Relations Prof. David Kang of the University of Southern California, there is a need to concentrate on the fundamental subject of unification of the Korean Peninsula, and it may be desirable to approach the young generations not through the unification cost but by asking them practical questions about national unification in order to convey the message of national unification to them.

“Comparing the sanctions against North Korea and Myanmar, May 24 Measures against North Korea by South Korean government were insufficient in the aspects of using negotiation power for imposing sanctions or release thereof,” said Prof. Kim Tae-hyun, director of the National Strategy Research Institute of ChoongAng Univ.

Andrew Scobell, senior researcher of RAND Corporation, noted that the collapse of the North Korean regime cannot be forecast, but it has been deemed to be proceeding internally, albeit slowly, and that Korea and US should prepare for the same scenario for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. In particular, if North Korea collapses, China will act in some way, and the US and Korea should cope jointly with the actions to be taken by China for such situation, he added.

Prof. Lee Jung-hun (Human Rights Ambassador of the Republic of Korea) presided over the second session titled “Roles of the Korea-US Alliance in the Peace in Northeast Asia and Conveniences and Benefits of National Unification.”

According to Patrick Cronine, senior director for Asia-Pacific Security of the US National Security Center, if Korea and US undertake key roles in the process of unifying the two Koreas, and China performs indirect and limited roles in it, US-Korea relations will continue. On the other hand, if conflict with China arises to some extent such as occupation of North Korea by China prior to unification, China will play more roles than before, he said.

“Peace in Northeast Asia can be realized by unifying the Korean Peninsula, which will make important contributions to military stability in the region. In this regard, the South Korean government should convince her neighboring countries that the unification of the two Koreas will guarantee regional stability, which is ultimately in their best interest,” said Choi Kang, research manager of the Asan Political Research Institute.

Bruce Benette, senior researcher of RAND Corporation, believes that, in order to make the leading North Korean class support the unification of the Korean Peninsula, they should be convinced that their crime will be pardoned, and that North Korea will be stabilized economically. There is a need to induce them to support the unification through various ways, he added.

“The benefits of unification of the two Koreas will be 1) good democracy; 2) more powerful and rich country; and 3) peaceful relations. A Unified Korea will provide the whole world with additional opportunities, and our descendants will enjoy prosperity through it,” said Kim Jung-ho, researcher of the North Korea Development Research Center of Korea Export Import Bank.

The forum provided a good opportunity for the relevant experts from both Korea and America to attempt to draw change of North Korea at this time of rapidly changing situation of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the country’s division and 5th anniversary of the May 24 Measures against North Korea. It was judged to have suggested the direction of inter-Korean policy of both Korea and America.