No conditions needed for North talks, says poll
Published: 27 Aug. 2009, 21:54
A recent poll by the JoongAng Ilbo showed that three out of five South Koreans think an inter-Korean summit should take place under no preset conditions.
According to the survey of 1,000 adults across the country, 61.9 percent said the two Koreas should meet “to resolve long-pending relationships without any condition.” Only 36.5 percent said the South and the North should have talks after the North’s nuclear issue has made visible progress.
Also, 60.8 percent of those polled think the resumption of the tourist program to Mount Kumgang shouldn’t necessarily be expedited. They said the program should restart after North Korea apologizes for killing a South Korean tourist at the Mount Kumgang resort and guarantees no such incident will take place again.
The remaining 37.5 percent said tourism to the North should nevertheless begin because it will facilitate exchanges between the citizens of both countries.
The survey also asked whether people believe the death of the former President Kim Dae-jung, who promoted a policy of engagement with North Korea, will encourage changes in South Korea’s political landscape and lessen regional and ideological conflict.
For example, Kim came to symbolize pro-North Korean progressive political ideology and was popular in the Jeolla provinces, but no in Gyeongsang.
The portion of respondents who think that in the wake of Kim’s death relations between the South and North Koreas will improve and those who predict no change was very similar: 45 percent and 45.1 percent, respectively.
By Shin Chang-woon, Seo Ji-eun [[email protected]]
According to the survey of 1,000 adults across the country, 61.9 percent said the two Koreas should meet “to resolve long-pending relationships without any condition.” Only 36.5 percent said the South and the North should have talks after the North’s nuclear issue has made visible progress.
Also, 60.8 percent of those polled think the resumption of the tourist program to Mount Kumgang shouldn’t necessarily be expedited. They said the program should restart after North Korea apologizes for killing a South Korean tourist at the Mount Kumgang resort and guarantees no such incident will take place again.
The remaining 37.5 percent said tourism to the North should nevertheless begin because it will facilitate exchanges between the citizens of both countries.
The survey also asked whether people believe the death of the former President Kim Dae-jung, who promoted a policy of engagement with North Korea, will encourage changes in South Korea’s political landscape and lessen regional and ideological conflict.
For example, Kim came to symbolize pro-North Korean progressive political ideology and was popular in the Jeolla provinces, but no in Gyeongsang.
The portion of respondents who think that in the wake of Kim’s death relations between the South and North Koreas will improve and those who predict no change was very similar: 45 percent and 45.1 percent, respectively.
By Shin Chang-woon, Seo Ji-eun [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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