Presidential favorite Park stresses trust in inter-Korean relations

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- Park Geun-hye, a strong contender for the next South Korean presidency, suggested Tuesday that Seoul adopt a new strategy to build trust with Pyongyang and cooperate with regional powers to find the right mix of "carrots and sticks" to effectively deal with the North's nuclear ambition.
The eldest daughter of the late former president Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye is the front-runner for next year's presidential race, commanding a large lead in opinion polls ever since her bitter loss to President Lee Myung-bak in 2007 for their party's nomination. Park's image of keeping promises to the public has appealed to voters, as South Korean politics is often plagued by broken promises over major policy pledges.
In a contribution to the latest online edition of the U.S. bimonthly journal Foreign Affairs, Park, 59, proposed "trustpolitik," a more accommodative approach compared with the Lee administration's hard-line policy against the communist neighbor.
"If North Korea undertakes additional nuclear tests, South Korea must consider all possible responses in consultation with its principal ally, the United States, and other key global partners," the former leader of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) wrote. "Even if Seoul must respond forcefully to Pyongyang's provocations, it must also remain open to new opportunities for improving relations between the two sides."
The North, which conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, has made similar threats in recent years to boost its nuclear deterrent force in an apparent reference to its nuclear weapons programs.
"A lack of trust has long undermined attempts at genuine reconciliation between North and South Korea," the four-term lawmaker said. "Peace between the two Koreas will not be possible without a combined effort."
Without such an effort, military brinkmanship may only increase, which could affect regions well beyond Asia, she said.
"For this reason, forging trust and sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula represents one of the most urgent and crucial tasks on Asia's list of outstanding security challenges."
Her remarks came as inter-Korean relations plunged to one of their lowest points since last November, when North Korea bombarded the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, killing two Marines and two civilians. On Monday, Pyongyang threatened to legally dispose of all South Korean property at its scenic mountain resort, blaming Seoul for not responding to its proposals on how to handle the assets.
Park also suggested the government seek an "alignment policy" by mixing a tough line against North Korea and a flexible policy open to negotiations at other times.
"To implement such an alignment policy, South Korea must first demonstrate, through a robust and credible deterrent posture, that it will no longer tolerate North Korea's increasingly violent provocations," Park said. "It must show Pyongyang that the North will pay a heavy price for its military and nuclear threats."
Even if Seoul and its allies strengthen their posture against Pyongyang's nuclear brinkmanship, Park called on them to continue projects that would enhance economic cooperation, humanitarian assistance and investment opportunities.
One such project would be a Eurasian railway project. In a 2002 Pyongyang meeting with Kim Jong-il, she proposed restoring a trans-Korean line, severed since the 1950-53 Korean War, to link it to China and Russia.
"To ensure that the first set of forces triumphs, policymakers in Asia and in the international community must not only take advantage of existing initiatives but also adopt a bolder and more creative approach to achieving security," she added.



ejkim@yna.co.kr