[칼럼] Conflicting signals

김동현 일민국제관계연구원 방문학자

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a common enemy to all of humanity that is still spreading globally, North Korea was busy last week, disclosing what it is doing internally but showing no signs of change on the nuclear issue or its path to self-reliance. It was sending seemingly conflicting signals to the South. Washington is trying to make sure that the North does not cross the red line.

On Feb. 29, Chairman Kim Jong-un called an expanded politburo meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and fired two vice chairmen of the committee ― respectively responsible for organization and agriculture. Both were accused of "abuse of power, practices of privilege, corruption, and irregularities," among other charges. In addition, Kim abolished a party cadre-training center on similar grounds.

Unlike previous political purges, which were related to factional struggles or disloyalty to the leader of the country, the purpose of the latest purge appears to be getting rid of corrupt party officials who indulged in personal privileges and greed. This will not be the last purge of this kind. Corruption alienates the people from the regime and undermines support for the leadership.

Kim also used the politburo meeting to deal with the urgent issue of the coronavirus. North Korea is yet to report any infection outbreaks. The regime is taking its own anti-epidemic measures ― border closing, quarantines, and a public campaign against the virus. The North has reported that 7,000 people have been quarantined.

On March 1, President Moon Jae-in offered the North the opportunity to cooperate on peace and medical issues. There was no immediate response from the North Korean authorities to the offer or to other international offers of assistance. The following day, the North launched two short-range projectiles that flew 240 kilometers with a maximum altitude of 35 kilometers toward the East Sea ― for the first time since last November, and while the South was preoccupied with the coronavirus attack. Kim was on the spot directing the exercise. Senior officials of the Moon's security team expressed regret and asked the North to stop further provocations.

On March 3, Kim Yo-jong, first vice-department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, and sister of Chairman Kim, blasted South Korean officials who made comments on the firing as "a foolish way of thinking." She said, "The drill was not aimed to threaten anybody. Training is the basic mission of the army responsible for the defense of the country."

She said correctly that South Korea's joint exercises with the U.S. were postponed due to the coronavirus. But she was wrong to accuse Cheong Wa Dae as "indifferent to peace, reconciliation and cooperation." She also complained about South Korea's arms build-up with the "purchasing of ultra-modern military hardware" and "deployment of state-of-the-art fighters in South Korea."

Interestingly, she sounded like she was defining North Korea's new position on military drills on the peninsula. She was contending that neither side ― North or South ― should interfere with the other side's military drills. Whenever the South resumes exercises with the U.S., will the North not complain?

Her use of bad language ― such as "a frightened dog" or "perfectly foolish" ― is not new in North Korea's verbal attacks on the South. Her statement was written in the style of satire, with plenty of sarcasm. It was not an ultimatum to terminate inter-Korean dialogue. Toward the end of her statement, she added, "The South side's response is so regretful … but it is somewhat fortunate that it was not a direct statement of the president."

On March 4, Kim Jong-un sent a personal letter to Moon, with a "message of comfort to the South Korean people who are battling against the outbreak of COVID-19." Kim also shared "candid thoughts and positions" regarding the Korean peninsula. According to Yoon Do-han, communications secretary to the President, Kim said he was worried about Moon's health and expressed frustration that he could not do much to help him now.

In the letter, Kim "underlined his unwavering friendship and trust toward President Moon and said that he will continue to quietly support President Moon's effort to overcome the outbreak." Moon sent a reply letter of thanks to Kim, March 5. Kim's letter seemed to have offset any negative interpretations of the week's earlier development in inter-Korean relations.

Also on March 5, U.S. President Donald Trump told a Fox News town hall audience that he had stopped a war with North Korea without giving any concessions. He still says, "Our relations are good, and we will see what happens."

The most urgent challenge for everybody now is to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

[The Korea Times, 2020-03-09]
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/03/167_285836.html