CIAO DATE: 11/02

Peace Building on the Korean Peninsula and the Role of Japan

Introduction

In the course of this past one year, the Korean Peninsula has seen a panorama of exciting events that seemed to augur the arrival of a new era in the whole history of the peninsula marked by the tragic division since the end of the Second World War.

What triggered this process, of course, was the historic visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that brought about the first summit meeting between President Kim Dae Jung and Chairman Kim Jong Il in June 2000. What has ensued from this event, particularly for those of us cooperating with the ROK as partners, has been, to quote the expression of one American observer, "an experience in a roller coaster ride, both climbing to new heighs, and also experiencing a series of wild twists and turns and ups and downs."

Whatever impression one may form about this "experience in a roller coaster ride" for one year, the conclusion seems to be inescapable that this roller coaster ride has brought about a radical change in our perspective about the future of the North-South relationship on the peninsula, although the roller coaster is at this moment riding through a fairly obscure terrain, if not through a dark tunnel. In any case, it seems too early to form a conclusion about the whole ride, which has not fully run its course.

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