Reverse the Direction of Korean Foreign and Security policy…The 8th Declaration on the Korean State of Affairs by the Former Officials of the Korean Foreign Service

2019-12-15, Former Officials of the (South Korea’s) Korean Foreign Service

The 8th Declaration on the Korean State of Affairs by the Former Officials of the Korean Foreign Service “Reverse the direction of foreign and security policy”

1. The Moon government must assume responsibility for the North’s failed denuclearization.

On December 11, 2019, the members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), led by the US, held an emergency meeting on the North Korean issue. This signaled the failure of diplomatic efforts put forth by the international community for the past two years toward North Korea’s denuclearization.

However, it is our own government, that is perhaps to blame for this outcome, who made insensible requests to many world leaders, including the permanent members of the UNSC, to ease the sanctions on North Korea. This act of deceit against our allies, aimed at voiding UN sanctions, ultimately backfired upon us.

Now, North Korea threatens to resume its nuclear and missile provocations, should the US fail to bring new, “acceptable” proposals to the table by the end of this year. As for the US, it has clearly stated that should North Korea break its promise to denuclearize, they are ready for military action. 

2. The Moon government should concede and admit the failure of their foreign policy.

The security landscape of the Korean peninsula has retrogressed to the situation two years ago, which was described as “fire and fury.” In the course of this regression, Korea has become internationally isolated in almost all spheres of diplomacy. Ominous presentiments, such as cracks in the Korea-US alliance, aggravation of Korea-Japan relations, and the collapse of Korea-US-Japan tri-alliance are becoming apparent everywhere.

The root of the cause can be traced back to the true colors of the current government, which sympathizes with the North Korean Juche ideology, and its foreign policy is a direct reflection of this.  The promises made to China, namely the “three no’s” – no additional THAAD deployment, no participation in the US’s missile defense program, and no establishment of a trilateral military alliance with the US and Japan – are also in this same context.

3. The Moon Jae-in government is incurring international isolation.

Despite its pro-North Korean and China-friendly policies, the Moon government has only received disdain and ridicule from both China and North Korea. China and Russia’s military aircraft have trespassed our air defense identification zone (KADIZ) and our airspace on numerous occasions, yet our government has failed to remonstrate. This clearly demonstrates that not only China, but Russia too, has placed us in a derogatory position.

Moreover, the Moon government has kept the truth from both the US and North Korea, adopting temporary expediency, which yielded no practical results. As a result, the government has lost the trust of both sides and also Japan’s, with its repeated lies.

Now, our country’s reputation as a “responsible member of the international community” has been greatly undermined. The Moon government’s actions have been viewed as running counter to our allies’ intentions, and have drawn much criticism.

4. The Moon government must scrap China-friendly policies, which are oblivious to lessons learnt over the course of 1,000 years in our relations with China.

In his recent visit to Korea, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi seriously undermined our sovereign rights and the dignity of our people, with his arrogance towards the Blue House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our corporations.

Such malicious behaviors by China have angered our people. Furthermore, if the rumors are indeed true that, in addition to opposing the deployment of additional THAAD units, China demanded our government to reject deployment of medium-ranged US missiles in Korea – we cannot condone, and so must condemn this atrocity.

The Moon government must hastily discard its submissive position to China and North Korea, and recover the Korea-US-Japan tri-alliance that has been the fulcrum of our economy and security for the past 70 years. Unless we do so, the future of Korea is bleak.

5. Our legitimate and rightful demands

President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to be present at the Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit, which will be held in China from December 23-25, 2019. We desperately hope that he will take this chance to renew Korea’s position and re-establish our position as a sovereign state, and urge the following:

First, promptly withdraw the “three no’s” promised to China.

• Korea’s security issues fall under the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea, and are to be addressed with consents from its allies. China has no rights to intervene or interfere, including the discussions on THAAD.
• The talks between Korea and its allies regarding its participation in the missile defense system are under the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea, and not China’s.
• The discussions of a Korea-US-Japan security tri-alliance are exclusively between Korea and its allies, under our sovereign rights. We cannot condone any more intervention from China.

Second, adhere to the treaties concluded with Japan.

• The Moon government must uphold the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty and the Claims Settlement Agreement signed in 1965, and recover the 2015 Korea-Japan ‘Comfort Women’ Agreement immediately, in order to normalize relations with Japan.
• The recent aggravation of Korea-Japan relations has its roots in our Supreme Court’s ruling on compensation for former forced laborers. The Moon government must admit that the verdict was in violation of international law.
• If these promises are not kept, our relations with Japan will be irrevocably damaged, not just in areas of commerce, but in all others.

Third, handle diplomatic matters from a universal, “free democracy” perspective.

• The Moon government purposely declined to co-sponsor the North Korea Human Rights Resolution, and this is a shameful example of its foreign policy that is focused on currying favors with North Korea. We urge the Moon government to co-sponsor the resolution immediately.
• The Moon government must recognize that the UN and all global human rights agencies are angered by the recent episode where two young North Korean defectors were forcefully repatriated. We urge the government to provide guarantee to those North Korean defectors who arrive in South Korea in search of freedom, all rights that our citizens currently enjoy. 

Fourth, actively participate in regional security alliances.

• Korea is a member of the free world which respects freedom and human rights and condemns socialism, communism, and totalitarianism that undermine them. As a member state, we must actively participate in our allies’ Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP).
• In addition, as a strong global trading partner, Korea must join the efforts of its allies in guarding the freedom of navigation in the West Sea, South China Sea, Strait of Malacca, and the Gulf, while secure trading routes.

We sincerely hope that the Moon government comes to realize in the New Year that our honest requests and advice are to see our isolated country re-join the international community as its responsible member once more.

December 15, 2019

Former officials of the Korean Foreign Service