Building trust on the Korean peninsula

On the first morning after I set foot on Philippine soil last September, I went to the Korean Memorial Pylon for a wreath laying ceremony and paid my respects to the fallen Filipino soldiers of the Korean War. It was followed by the annual gathering of Korean War veterans where I was greeted by former President Fidel Ramos, who looked as spirited as when he had fought as a platoon leader of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK). I felt it was a perfect start to my duty as the Korean Ambassador to the Philippines.

Of the 7,420 PEFTOK soldiers, 112 lost their lives fighting for the freedom of Korea. The fallen Filipino soldiers, now sleeping in peace, must be very satisfied seeing Korea develop into a thriving country as they hoped it would be. The courage and dedication of PEFTOK became the bedrock of our friendship, which I am sure will last well into the 21st century.

The Korean Peninsula remains the last vestige of Cold War rivalries. South Korea, which rose from the ashes and destitution after the Korean War, has successfully transformed itself into a highly advanced economy, with a mature democracy and membership in G20.

In contrast, North Korea has become one of the poorest and tyrannical countries in the world. While starving many of its people, North Korea has been preoccupied with developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Last December, North Korea launched a long-range missile test followed by the third nuclear test in February. Despite the stricter sanctions imposed by the UN and individual countries including the US, North Korea has continued its belligerence and provocative behavior.

Although South Korea takes the provocations seriously, the Korean government has remained calm and unperturbed. With firm resolve, President Park Geun-hye, the first female president elected in the history of Korea, is committed to renounce the pattern of rewarding the provocative actions of the North. Since her assumption, President Park has been emphasizing that true inter-Korean reconciliation and economic cooperation will come only after the trust between the two Koreas is established.

The principled approach of President Park to North Korea probably led to soul-searching among North Korean leaders on north-south relations. On top of that, a strong ROK-US alliance, which is a linchpin of security on the peninsula, provides a strong deterrence against any attack or provocation from North Korea.

The tension on the Korean Peninsula has now eased. And a dialogue between officials of the two Koreas almost materialized, which could have resulted in a breakthrough in deadlocked inter-Korea ties. However, due to the stubborn insistence of North Korea on South Korea to send a minister-level official as the head of delegation, while not offering a representative commensurate to the inter-Korea talks, the meeting was called off. Now, North Korea has proposed to talk directly with the United States, a bypassing strategy towards South Korea which they have employed in the past. For its part, the United States announced it would only agree to a dialogue if the proposal is backed by action. I hope that North Korea has realized that its behavior and tactics will no longer work.

The Philippines has been very supportive of South Korea on the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula. It has always stood together with South Korea in pressuring North Korea to become a responsible member of the international community. The Philippines and Korea will continue to work together to attain peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and ultimately achieve the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas.