DATE=04/05/02

TYPE=INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

TITLE=PAIK HAK-SOON, A FELLOW WITH THE SEJONG INSTITUTE

NUMBER=3-121

BYLINE=VICTOR BEATTIE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

/// Editors: This interview is available in Dalet under SOD/English News Now Interviews in the folder for today or yesterday ///

HOST: South Korean officials say North and South Korea are close to an agreement on resuming reunions of separated families and economic exchanges. South Korea's Unification Ministry said Friday through a spokesman that the breakthrough came after an envoy from Seoul met in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il late Thursday. The South Korean minister said the two sides were near agreement on reunions of separated families and the re-opening of economic cooperation talks. News Now's Victor Beattie spoke about the importance of the reunions with Paik Hak-Soon ("pack hock soon"), a fellow with the Sejong ("say-JONG") Institute, a research organization in Seoul:

MR. PAIK: This is very significant, because I think both Koreas are drawing a larger picture this time, particularly when North Korea is disillusioned with the United States Government. As you may remember, the "axis of evil" statements and also President Bush's distinction between the North Korean leader in the system and the North Korean people when he visited South Korea recently. And so the North Korean leadership is shifting, has shifted, its attention to South Korea in order to promote inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.

So this is being done after North Korea is disillusioned with the United States. Previously, North Korea had some hope for a better relationship with even the Bush administration. And in order to achieve that, the North Korean leadership has made some efforts in its own way.

So I think the resumption of the reunion of the separated families and also the reopening of the economic cooperation promotion committee meeting is something that has to do with the larger picture of inter-Korean cooperation and reconciliation this time.

MR. BEATTIE: Now, the reunions and economic talks were key items in that historic agreement signed in the June of 2000 summit, as you know, between the leaders of the two countries.

MR. PAIK: Yes, that's correct.

MR. BEATTIE: Would this new resumption, if you will, move both countries closer to peninsular talks on reunification?

MR. PAIK: Reunification is another matter. Both North and South Korea realize that reunification of the countries takes a long time. Because we have to consider all kinds of geopolitical, economic, political, and diplomatic factors involved in that. So it does not necessarily directly relate to the advancement of reunification itself. But definitely we are moving into a better relationship between the two Koreas. And based upon this, North Korea and South Korea go out into the world with better ideas, such as stability and peace in the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

HOST: That's Paik Hak-Soon, a fellow with the Sejong Institute in Seoul.

VNN/WH