제주평화연구원

 

Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, designated and proclaimed by the Korean government in 2005 as the “Island of World Peace,” is favored as a venue for inter-Korean talks for reconciliation of the two Koreas, because this spot for international tourism remains apart from the inter-Korean confrontational issue and offers the advantage of exceptional personal security for both parties, as well.

The inter-Korean ministerial talks have been held continuously on this island, beginning with the first inter-Korean special envoy talks and the first defense ministers’ talks in 2000, preceded by the first inter-Korean summit of the same year, and then the 3rd and 17th inter-Korean ministerial talks, up to the 12th inter-Korean economic cooperation promotion talks in 2006. 1. The Inter-Korean Special Envoy Talks The initial session of inter-Korean special envoy talks was held on Jeju Island on Sept. 12-13, 2000, following the June 15 inter-Korean summit meeting in 2000. It drew keen attention both domestically and internationally, fanning speculation that it might be a preparatory step for a reciprocal visit to the South by the then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, which was one of the agreements of the June 15 Declaration. Kim Yong-sun, a former secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of the North, who was in charge of inter-Korean affairs at that time, visited Jeju Island as a special envoy of the North and held talks with Lim Dong-won, who was then head of the National Intelligence Service of the South. In the talks, they agreed on the procedure to allow separated families to confirm the addresses of their surviving family members and exchange letters, as well as to hold the inter-Korean defense ministers’ talks and working-level talks on economic cooperation. 2. The 1st Inter-Korean Defense Ministers’ Talks In the wake of the inter-Korean special envoy talks on Sept. 12-13, 2000, the first meeting of the defense ministers of the two Koreas was held on the island on Sept. 24-26 of that year. In the historic talks, the first of its kind ever since the national division, South Korean Defense Minister Cho Seong-tae and his counterpart Kim Il-chol agreed to hold two plenary meetings and working-level talks as a measure to guarantee the implementation of the June 15 Declaration to ease military tension and to make efforts towards lasting peace. 3. The 3rd Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks On the heels of the special envoy talks and defense ministers’ meeting, the 3rd ministerial talks were held on the island on Sept. 27-30, 2000. South Korean Unification Minister Park Jae-kyu and Jon Kum-jin, a senior cabinet councilor of the North, agreed to take immediate measures to solve the separated family issue and establish the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Committee. During the talks, the North Korean cabinet councilor conveyed the oral message of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, expressing gratitude on his behalf for the tangerines sent by the Jeju islanders to the North Korean people. 4. The 17th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks The 17th ministerial talks were held on the island on Dec. 13-16, 2005. It was joined by South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and North Korean senior cabinet councilor Kwon Ho-ung. Both expressed their respective views and discussed the North Korean nuclear issue and ways to ease military tension, as well as exchanging views on repatriation of the South Korean prisoners of war and abductees. In the talks, they also agreed on the video meetings of separated families and their reat Mt. Geumgang, and the second-stage project to develop the Gaeseong Industrial Complex. 5. The 12th Conference of the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Committee The 12th conference of the economic cooperation committee was held on the island on June 3-6, 2006, with Bak Kyeong-wan, the vice minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of the South, and Ju Dong-chan, the North's chairman of the South-North Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee, attending the meeting. They agreed on the trial operation of the Gyeongeui and Donghae Railways and cooperation in light industry and natural resources development, thus adopting the Accord on South-North Cooperation in Light Industry and Natural Resource Development as a result. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province presents an optimal venue for inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, and it strives to an atmosphere favorable for national unification by seeking to host the inter-Korean summit meetings and ministerial talks.