Friday, August 20, 2004
North Korea Opening Up
The most encouraging news today is the relative opening up of North Korea, at least to countries other than the United States. While the government has continued its oppressive ways, it has also been changing its philosophy. Since 2000, it has established diplomatic relations with 19 new countries, especially in Europe. Germany has been the leader in the attempt to open up the country, establishing a Goethe Information Center in Pyongyang. It offers scientific and popular media open to all (some North Koreans understand German because of the relationship with East Germany; however one wonders how many people actually are able to use this resource). Germany is now giving a course on libraries and librarians, as well as use of the Internet.
North Korea is also initiating limited capitalist reforms (not that capitalism in itself means freedom). Three hundred markets have been established, private trade with China is increasing, and private cars are beginning to appear on the streets. South Korea is helping to establish an industrial park, connected through a new highway and railroad to the South. Bilateral talks are occurring with its neighbors, even among military leaders. While the United States continues to demonize the country for its human rights record, the other countries are taking a much more relaxed attitude. On the one hand, the United States is quite right. The government is demonic and should be treated as such. On the other hand, maybe there is little to gain with this approach at this juncture. The USSR and its satellites were in part brought down by the Helsinki Accord focusing on human rights. By stressing the importance of adhering to its provisions, the United States helped to edge the USSR and the satellite world into a transformation. Yet perhaps this was possible only because it occurred at a certain point in the evolution of the USSR and Eastern Europe. If the treaty and our pressure had occurred earlier it might well have been counterproductive. Perhaps the Europeans and the South Koreans have it right this time. Or perhaps we can proceed forward using the good cop - bad cop approach.
In any event, whatever it portends, this opening lays a more useful basis for talks on nuclear, humanitarian, and other issues than we have had in the past.
North Korea is also initiating limited capitalist reforms (not that capitalism in itself means freedom). Three hundred markets have been established, private trade with China is increasing, and private cars are beginning to appear on the streets. South Korea is helping to establish an industrial park, connected through a new highway and railroad to the South. Bilateral talks are occurring with its neighbors, even among military leaders. While the United States continues to demonize the country for its human rights record, the other countries are taking a much more relaxed attitude. On the one hand, the United States is quite right. The government is demonic and should be treated as such. On the other hand, maybe there is little to gain with this approach at this juncture. The USSR and its satellites were in part brought down by the Helsinki Accord focusing on human rights. By stressing the importance of adhering to its provisions, the United States helped to edge the USSR and the satellite world into a transformation. Yet perhaps this was possible only because it occurred at a certain point in the evolution of the USSR and Eastern Europe. If the treaty and our pressure had occurred earlier it might well have been counterproductive. Perhaps the Europeans and the South Koreans have it right this time. Or perhaps we can proceed forward using the good cop - bad cop approach.
In any event, whatever it portends, this opening lays a more useful basis for talks on nuclear, humanitarian, and other issues than we have had in the past.
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