Many winners if Korean War is officially declared over
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has at least one thing right: It’s time to officially end the Korean War.
That war between North and South Korea drew in 17 other nations, including Canada. While the fighting ended with an armistice in 1953, no peace treaty was signed. Technically, South Korea and the 16 additional nations that contributed to the American-led United Nations Command are still in a state of war with the North and its allied Chinese “volunteers.”
For years, each of the two Koreas insisted that it alone was the only legitimate state on the Korean Peninsula. In that context, it was convenient for both sides to pretend the war wasn’t over.
But now, both Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in say its time to recognize reality.
They are calling for a “political declaration” that the war has ended, to be followed eventually by a formal peace treaty.
And they want the U.S., which still has 28,500 troops in South Korea, to agree.
In a normal world, this would be a no-brainer. Why prolong a war that, in effect, has been over for 55 years?
But nothing to do with North Korea is normal. The Americans are reluctant to regularize relations with Kim’s regime until it proves it no longer has nuclear weapons.
Conversely, Kim is reluctant to give up his nuclear weapons as long as his nation is in a state of war with U.S. In effect, peace has become a bargaining chip.
This is not entirely new. Past negotiations have been spectacularly unsuccessful. What’s different this time is that the leaders of both the U.S. and the two Koreas are in a unique position to get something done.
First, Moon. He is not the first South Korean president to attempt a rapprochement with the North. In fact, he’s the third. But he’s been tireless in his efforts to resuscitate North-South relations.
And he’s been equally tireless in his efforts to get U.S. President Donald Trump on side, praising him fulsomely for any advances made along the road to peace.
Second, Kim. The North Korean dictator has been ruthless in his consolidation of power, famously killing members of his own family.
But while his methods are medieval, his aims have been both open and consistent. He vowed to make North Korea a nuclear power and succeeded. Now, having satisfied what he sees as his country’s security needs, he is pledging to follow China’s example and foster a kind of illiberal capitalism.
To that end, he needs access to foreign, particularly South Korean, investment. And he needs to normalize relations with the U.S.
Third, Trump. The U.S. president is often dismissed as an egomaniacal buffoon. His critics say he is being manipulated by Kim, who has managed to win concessions from the U.S. without giving up his nuclear weapons.
But Trump is not a naïf. He possesses a certain native cunning that has been helpful in his dealings with Kim. A seasoned exaggerator himself, Trump knows when to ignore the more extravagant rhetoric that comes out of North Korea.
Kim paid little attention when Trump dismissed him as “little rocket man.” Trump appears not to have been bothered when Kim called him a “dotard.”
The two now regularly lavish insincere praise on one another. But it’s doubtful that either takes that praise seriously. Both are focused on the endgame.
Kim’s endgame envisions a North Korea that is economically prosperous and militarily secure. For Trump, the endgame is more personal. He hopes to make history by doing something no other U.S. president has been able to accomplish.
Right now, Trump seems to think he can win that place in history by making peace with Pyongyang. Let’s hope that something can be accomplished along these lines before he changes his mind.
Declaring the Korean War over would be a good start.
Thomas Walkom is a Toronto-based columnist covering politics. Follow him on Twitter: @tomwalkom