SEOUL -- In less than a month, Koreans will commemorate the first anniversary of the historic inter-Korean summit. In mid-June last year, the leaders of the divided country met for the first time and vowed to open a new chapter in peninsular relations. Numerous political and academic events will take place in commemoration of the epochal Pyongyang summit. The North-South Joint Declaration signed by the two leaders will undoubtedly be a focal point of many deliberations. Every one of the five paragraphs of that declaration contains a program for shifting away from a hostile past to a more amicable future. "The South and the North have agreed to resolve the question of reunification independently and through the joint efforts of the Korean people," the opening paragraph stipulates, demonstrating the desire of both leaders to work out solutions to the problem of division without foreign interference.
Recent developments show, however, that this notion of independence has not progressed beyond wishful thinking. Koreans did set out on a new road to cooperation and reconciliation after their historic summit, with spectacular inter-Korean encounters taking place. But before long the peacemaking process came to a sudden standstill. Future historians may come up with an empirically verified answer to the question of what exactly caused this impasse. For now, most analysts are holding the new U.S. administration responsible. For many Koreans, recent developments offer further proof that progress in inter-Korean relations is dependent on U.S. support.
"I really think that the U.S. administration's hardline policy is affecting our relationship with North Korea," said South Korea's foreign minister, Han Seung Soo, confirming the fact that Seoul's North Korea policy depends on the good will of the United States. This is a remarkable statement for South Korea's top diplomat to make, as it deviates from the customary official proclamations that Seoul and Washington act in concert and that the U.S. has always supported South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's Sunshine Policy. On several occasions during his recent visit to Korea, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage stressed this point. But such expressions of support are really just diplomatic niceties, uttered to demonstrate harmony between important allies. In reality, fundamental differences of opinion exist over how to deal with North Korea.