The minimum you must know

After five years of closed borders and disunity between North and South Korea, the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un announced the opening of the border for inter-Korea tourism and family reunions. This was in response to a very important and successful speech given in August 2024 by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on peace and reunification with North Korea. The improving Korean relations developed at a time of global tension in the news, because of tough events Ukraine, Israel and the United States of America, and is a good a sign that the South and North Korean leaders are setting a phenomenal example to other countries that this writer hopes will soon follow their lead. The North and South Korean leaders deserve tremendous credit for their extraordinary leadership on peace.

There was a time in the not too distant past when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South Korea) tried this before, and set a similarly incredible example with diplomacy for peace. The Supreme Leader of North Korea and then President of South Korea heroically de-escalated military tension in 2017, when there was the possibility of nuclear confrontation. Then President Trump was important to the de-escalation. He and Supreme leader Kim Jong Un did something amazing at the time, and gradually improved relations, first by sending “love letters” to one another (perhaps as way to surface “love” helpfully in the news, before it was popular for news presenters to pattern similarly), and then by meeting in person on the militarized border of North and South Korea, so that both leaders could symbolically visit the two Koreas together. That was the first time an American president visited the north in nearly a century. That was an extraordinary time for peace. The Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and then President Trump avoided nuclear conflict by doing more to get the concepts of “peace” and “love” into the news than almost any other leaders before that time. (This was soon followed by four Abraham Accords, which achieved the same thing rhetorically when Israel made interfaith-peace with four Arab states.) There have been much more optimistic relations between North and South Korea ever since. President Trump and the Supreme Leader of North Korea deserve tremendous credit for the effort for peace. Also, the Presidents of South Korea and Supreme Leader of North Korea were nominated to share a Nobel Peace Prize at that time, which this writer still believes the two leaders deserve.

The prospects for peace have only continued to improve since then.  Although current President Joe Biden has preferred pressure and deterrence to direct diplomacy during his administration, clearly there are opportunities for South-North diplomacy today. President Yoon Suk Yeol said to the South Korean press from day one that, “My administration will prepare an inter-Korean peace treaty…. Comprehensive economic aid and cooperation will then follow.  We will put together a large-scale program of investment and aid in partnership with global financial institutions like the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank [for North Korea].” So the South Korean president clearly has been pursuing improving relations, and has shown himself to care deeply about peace. There is certainly a diplomatic opening for Vice President Kamal Harris to become a figurehead for peace as a result.

Although the two Koreas developed varying political systems from one another over the past several decades, and slightly differing traditions, the countries clearly remain united in their love for peace because of their similar culture and history. The countries love peace because they are the same people - families who reunite from time to time across their easily unhindered border. The Korean governments want each other’s populations to prosper and enjoy a lasting sense of safety and calm. They are creating a peace treaty as a result. The sincere effort for peace is becoming more successful now than ever before. It has already earned the governments more than just deep respect from their own people. The efforts for peace have set an exemplary standard of peaceful diplomacy for all other countries to follow.

North Korea has done a tremendous amount rhetorically for peace. North Korea perhaps first started introducing “peace” and “love” into U.S. news during the Seoul Olympics, when North’s peaceful participation first opened up the possibility of diplomacy with South Korea and the United States. Soon after North Korea started hosting and participating in successful peace talks with the Presidents of South Korea and the United States, and committing to creating a formal peace armistice. The Supreme Leader of North Korea even sent a congratulatory note to the Queen of England on her celebration of her 70th year on the throne at that time. There was remains a clear and consistent effort on the part of North Korean leadership for improving relations with South Korea and the United States.

North Korea has significant agricultural import needs. The U.S. economic embargo on North Korea has interfered with North Korea’s efforts to secure basic goods people need for day to day living. Such international economic policies are inconsistent with peaceful diplomacy, and have created food insecurity and a consequent ethical and moral obligation for the all countries to ensure the North Korean population’s food and basic needs are met. (Governments and aid organizations can contact the United Nations right now to help.)

It’s very important that the U.S. media inform audiences - especially Congress - when peace is being achieved between the Koreas, because daily news remains a predominant way U.S. leaders develop views on foreign relations.

South Korean President Yoon also announced permission for South Korean organizations to provide non-financial aid to North Korea. That isn’t a full lifting of sanctions that North Korea says is deserved and may well soon receive. But that’s consistent with existing South Korean United Nations commitments while also improving relations between the countries. Perhaps North-South Korean family reunions and other such metaphors for peace will become publicized once again as a result. Metaphors for peace can be more important than just to North-South Korean relations. Metaphors for peace can lead to improving relations between all countries.