Faded '30 Years of UN Simultaneous Membership'... Tangled Inter-Korean Relations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Although September 17 marked the 30th anniversary of the simultaneous admission of North and South Korea to the United Nations, inter-Korean dialogue has not resumed; rather, inter-Korean relations are increasingly strained. The North criticized South Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launch by mentioning President Moon Jae-in by name and launched ballistic missiles following cruise missiles. While South Korea has expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with the North, it lacks suitable diplomatic cards to present to Pyongyang.

On September 17, President Moon posted on social networking services (SNS) to mark the 30th anniversary of the simultaneous UN admission of North and South Korea, expressing regret that "there is still a long way to go for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace."

President Moon emphasized the significance of the simultaneous UN admission by stating, "30 years ago today, North and South Korea joined the United Nations together. On 'International Day of Peace' that year, representatives from both sides pledged at the UN General Assembly to join humanity's shared journey toward world peace and prosperity, announcing their commitment to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula to the world." However, his remarks were interpreted as expressing regret over the recent tense atmosphere between the two Koreas, including ballistic missile launches.

Earlier, the Blue House attached great significance to this UN General Assembly as the 30th anniversary of North and South Korea's simultaneous UN admission, expressing hope that "it would be truly good if North and South Korea could simultaneously send messages related to peace on the Korean Peninsula on such an international diplomatic stage (the UN General Assembly)." This subtly hinted at the hope for simultaneous messaging from both Koreas.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

September is particularly significant for inter-Korean relations, with meaningful anniversaries such as the founding of the North Korean regime (September 9), the 30th anniversary of simultaneous UN admission (September 17), and the 3rd anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration. Additionally, diplomatic events such as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to South Korea, the trilateral North Korea nuclear talks among South Korea, the US, and Japan, and the 76th UN General Assembly raised expectations for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue and the reactivation of the Korean Peninsula peace process.

However, the North's cruise missile launches (September 11?12) followed by ballistic missile launches (September 15), and Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, criticizing President Moon by name, have combined as negative factors, greatly diminishing the possibility of resuming inter-Korean dialogue within September. Instead, the situation appears to be evolving into a missile development competition between the two Koreas, with South Korea's seventh SLBM launch and the North unveiling a new missile system using trains.

However, experts analyze that there is still room for dialogue, considering that Kim Yo-jong unusually stated in a communiqu? that she does not wish for the "complete destruction of inter-Korean relations." Professor Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University said, "This strongly suggests that the North does not want to engage in futile tension and confrontation with the South," adding, "Although they will continue to develop new weapons systems, their military actions are intended to prevent the situation from escalating into excessive tension and conflict, focusing on managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula as much as possible."