Seoul Positive, but Cautious Over NK Projects

Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jungeun smiles as she walks out of the transit office near the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, after an 10-day trip to North Korea. / Korea Times Photo by Cho Young-ho By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter The government called a five-point agreement signed between Hyundai Group and North Korea to resume joint projects "positive," Monday, but said a consensus between the governments was needed to implement them. The reaction came after Hyundai and North Korea's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee agreed to resume joint projects, including tours to Mt. Geumgang in the North. A five-point press release was signed following a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Hyundai Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun Sunday. A consensus should be made between the authorities of South and North Korea to implement the accord, the Ministry of Unification said. "The government positively assesses the agreement but it was made at the private level," ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said. "So, concrete discussions are required to implement the accord." Hyun crossed into the secretive North on Aug. 10 to win the release of a South Korean employee. She accomplished the mission and the results of the trip proved to be fruitful. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Hyundai and North Korea agreed to arrange "reunions of separated families and relatives" at Mt. Geumgang on Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) which falls on Oct. 3. The reunions were suspended after the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration one and a half years ago. More than 30,000 people have applied for the program as of late July, according to the ministry. "The government will make an effort to help the Red Cross bodies of the two Koreas hold talks for resuming the reunions before the national holiday," spokesman Chun said. But when asked about the government's willingness to propose inter-Korean dialogue first, he drew a line in the sand. He said that it would be appropriate to decide on the matter after Hyun briefs the government on the results of her meeting with the North Korean leader. The joint statement also calls for the resumption of tours to the North Korean border city of Gaeseong, the capital of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), as well as Mt. Geumgang. Tourism to Mt. Geumgang has been suspended since July last year when a South Korean woman was shot dead by a North Korean soldier. South Koreans have also been prohibited from visiting Gaeseong since North Korea began to restrict border-crossings on Dec. 1 last year in retaliation for the Lee administration's tougher stance toward Pyongyang. The statement indicated that North Korea would lift the ban soon. Hyundai and North Korea will also begin tourism to Mt. Baekdu, the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, as soon as preparations are completed, according to the agreement. The North also decided to open Mt. Geumgang's highest peak, Birobong, to South Korean tourists, it said. After returning to the South later Monday, Hyun said with a big smile that Hyundai will "implement these joint projects as soon as possible after consultations with the government." Progressive civic groups hailed the agreement and expressed hope for an improvement in inter-Korean relations. ksy@koreatimes.co.kr