Joint Declaration Fulfills DJ's 30-year Reunification Efforts

"I have done my best to sincerely explain South Korea's stance regarding the eventual unification of the two Koreas."

President Kim Dae-jung summarized his efforts at the summit with North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il immediately after signing the South-North Joint Declaration signed on June 14.

Chong Wa Dae Spokesperson Park Joon-young said that "all but ten minutes of the nearly four-hour second summit talk was an extension of the tension." Park also said, "President Kim spent a majority of his time on the reunification proposal."

South Korean delegates commented, "In Pyongyang, President Kim probably experienced his most trying day since he was abducted in Tokyo and sentenced to death in 1980. President Kim has pursued unification with a passion throughout his life."

The June 15 Joint Declaration was the decisive outcome of the 'DJ reunification formula,' consisting of three principles for peaceful reunification - Independence, Peace and Democracy -- and a reunification proposal in three phases - a confederation, a federation and eventually complete reunification - as well as the 'sunshine policy,' which has been carried out by Kim Dae-jung's administration.

The reunification formula was mostly highlighted in the first item, which read: 'To resolve the question of reunification independently and through the joint efforts of the Korean people,' and the second item: 'There is a common element in the South's proposal for a confederation and the North's proposal for a loose form of federation...to promote reunification through these frameworks.'

Among the three principles of reunification carried out by DJ, 'independence' has been contemplated, whereas 'peace' has been "mutually agreed upon by the two leaders, that war on the peninsula should be abolished, even though this was not explicitly stated in the declaration," according to a presidential spokesperson Park.

President Kim is stressing the second item of the Joint Declaration in order to carry out his 30-year reunification formula. North Korea is insisting on the elimination of the first phase of confederation (one confederation, two nations, two systems and two independent governments) in order to hasten the federation phase of one nation, two systems and two independent local governments, by pushing their Koryo federation formula. North Korea has proposed that it handle the diplomatic and military duties of the proposed centralized government.

North Korean President Kim Il-sung accurately presaged the present possibility of an agreement in a New Year's Day speech back in 1991. "North Korea has the intention to agree on a proposal, one in which more rights would be provided to the local self-governments within the republic of federation for a temporary measure, in order to reach an agreement easily."

President Kim continued his strong conviction that "it is impossible to provide diplomatic and military rights to a central government considering the many issues inherent in our current situation, including the question of joining international organizations." President Kim fulfilled his intention to "maintain separate ideologies and systems as well as military and diplomatic rights in both the South and North as they are now." At the summit he asserted, "The South and North should peacefully coexist and foster exchanges in order to promote gradual and systematic reunification,"

Kim Jong-il finally acquiesced to DJ's proposal at 6:50 p.m. June 14, terminating the prolonged dispute. North Korean leader Kim ultimately agreed on the wording of 'a loose form of federation,' in which the local governments maintain separate diplomatic and military reins.

The first phase of DJ's reunification formula was fulfilled in the joint declaration. Peaceful coexistence, exchanges, and a peaceful reunification process form the first phase of his reunification proposal. Agreements to foster economic cooperation, the reunion of dispersed families and regular talks between government officials were sealed.

DJ's reunification proposal finally produced results after his 30 years of tireless efforts. A delegate explained: "President Kim and Chairman Kim finally made their end game moves in a chess match that both of them will win."

Kang Sung-yun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University, said, "North Korea has never proposed that they provide diplomatic and military rights to the central government." He added "it seemed that Chairman Kim was convinced that President Kim's realistic ideas to establish a federation after going through the initial confederation stage is prudent."

President Kim said "thousands of emotions crowded in on my mind and I felt a great reward for my efforts," immediately after signing the Joint Declaration.

Other issues, no doubt, occupied President Kim's mind: The incident under investigation regarding the alleged spying by lawmaker Seo Kyong-won in 1988, the suspicion that the three phase reunification formula was equivalent to the Koryo federation proposal of North Korea, various incidents related to the national security, the disputes about communism that crop up in every election, and the engagement policy toward North Korea in the wake of the infiltration of the North Korean submarine as well as the battle in the West Sea.

President Kim experienced a touch of insomnia on his last night in Pyongyang, beset by many troubling thoughts and remorse. Nevertheless, DJ's reunification formula is set for new challenges and a new start.

by Choi Hoon