The issue of a divided Korea affects peace and prosperity not only for the Korean peninsula but also for the entire Asian-Pacific region. The division of Korea has made the two Koreas heavily armed and has provided an excuse for the arms race in the region. Japan pursues rearmament in the cause of national security against the threat from North Korea, which in turn spurs China? arms buildup. The United States has also been deeply involved in this military tension. To end this competitive armament, the reunification of Korea is a necessary step. However, reunification will be a long and difficult process. Consequently, I think it can be useful to learn from the experience of Germany because it has gone through a similar process. At the same time, in order to create an appropriate model for Korean reunification we need to consider that the conditions of division and reunification in the two countries are not the same. Thus I conducted an interview with a German about how Germany was divided and reunified, and about what has changed since reunification. I hope this interview will provide useful lessons for the two Koreas to achieve reunification or peaceful co-existence.

Interviewer:Hyunjin Kang-Graham
Interviewee:Jakub Piwowarski

Kang-Graham:
I am interested in the circumstances of Germany? division in 1949. Would you tell me about the division of Germany? First, let me tell you about how Korea was divided. Korea was liberated from the 36 years of Japanese occupation (1910-1945) after the Japanese Empire unconditionally surrendered in World War II. Many Koreans had fought for independence, but it came suddenly with the victory of the Allied Forces. Soon after, U.S. and Soviet forces came to the Korean peninsula to disarm Japanese troops. As a result, the U.S. Army Military government ruled over Southern Korea (1945-1948), while the Soviet army exerted influence on Northern Korea. Two contrasting ideologies were implanted into the minds of Koreans, which were to become the seeds of the long conflict among Koreans. Subsequently, the Republic of Korea (ROK) was established in the South in August of 1948 and the Democratic People? Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North in September of the same year. Although separate governments were declared, few Koreans expected the long division of the peninsula. Both governments pursued reunification, but their versions of reunification were centered on their own ideology, with the expectation that the other? ideology would be defeated. In June 25, 1950, the North invaded the South to reunify Korea under communism. That was the beginning of the Korean War, which is often called the tragedy of a fratricidal war. The war lasted until the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. The agreement was signed by Mark W. Clark (U.S. Army General and commander of the U.N.), Peng De-Huai (commander of the Chinese People? Volunteers) and Kim Il-Sung (Supreme commander of the Korean People? Army). South Korea refused to sign because President Lee Seung-Man did not agree to the armistice and instead insisted on unification through defeating the communist North by force. The armistice solidified the division of the Korean peninsula. Hence, contrasting ideologies (Communism versus Capitalism) were a crucial factor of the division of Korea, under the influence of the two Cold War superpowers. Although the Cold War has ended, Korea remains divided and represents one of the last remnants of the Cold War legacy.

Piwowarski:
The division of Germany was a product of the dispute between the Soviet Union and the Allied Forces, mainly the United States. After World War II, they could not reach an agreement on how to manage the post war situation, and the whole situation escalated in the so-called Cold War era led by the Soviet Union and the United States. A collision of ideologies and a struggle over power between the two power blocs resulted in the division of Germany. The Soviet Union occupied the eastern part of Germany, and the Western Allies (the USA, the UK, and France) occupied the western part of Germany. And in 1961, the Berlin wall was built and secured the border between East and West Germany. Germans were not allowed to go to the other part freely from then until the fall of the wall in 1989. Actually, you know I am originally Polish, and I lived in the communist part of Europe when I was little. When my parents decided to move to Germany, it was an extremely dangerous and risky thing. We had to go from Poland to East Germany and pass the border into Berlin. I only remember very few things, but I remember heavily armed soldiers and the really high tension in the car when we were controlled at the border. Sometimes people tried to climb over the wall, but it was under very heavy guard. Soldiers shot at people when they saw people trying to climb over. I don? know exactly who built the wall, but the reason was of course because Berlin was occupied by both forces, the Allied Forces and the Soviet Forces. Neither side wanted to give the other any chance to establish their ideology. The creation of the wall symbolized the Cold War. Nobody really expected the wall to be built, and nobody expected it to suddenly collapse. If my parents would have known that the wall would tumble down, they could have waited two more months, spared so much stress and avoided such a high risk. You know, just two months after we moved to Germany in this really dangerous situation, the wall was erased. I remember the fall of the wall. I was there when it started to be torn down. It was long ago, but I still remember some parts.

Kang-Graham:
Reunification is the long process of overcoming mistrust and enhancing mutual understanding for the purposes of a peace settlement. Korea is in the beginning stage of the process, while it seems that Germany is getting close to the last stage, reconciling differences and rebuilding a nation. I would like to give an account of what Korea has done to move toward Korean reunification and to learn about what Germans did to attain the reunification of Germany in 1989. Over a half century has passed since the two Koreas have begun to exist under different ideologies and political systems. This history has made cultural differences become more significant. Both Koreas have defined their counterpart as a puppet regime, not a legitimate government. North Korea is still designated as an anti-state organization under South Korea? National Security Law. Also, painful memories of the Korean War brought distrust and enmity against each other. However, hope for one nation, inherited from the same ancestry, led Koreans to take steps toward reunification. The door for inter-Korean economic cooperation was opened in 1998 when Chung Ju-yung, the Hyundai Group founder, drove through Panmunjeom - a village in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the Korean peninsula - with a herd of 501 cattle. Chung Ju-yung met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and secured an agreement to let South Koreans and foreigners visit Mt. Kumgang, a part of North Korean territory. On June 13, 2000, the first South-North Summit since the division of the peninsula took place. South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and Kim Jong-Il signed the South-North Joint Declaration, which allowed separated families to be reunited. Over three thousand separated families were reunited from the first round to the fifteenth round of family reunion sessions (August 2000-May 2007). Also, during the first summit, an agreement was reached on the construction of the Kaesong Industrial Complex for the sake of inter-Korean economic cooperation. As of 2007, 45 companies operate in the complex. On October 2, 2007, South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun walked through the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to participate in the second South-North Summit. The two leaders signed a Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity. They also shared an interest in establishing a peace regime by declaring the end of the Korean War. Considering the importance of dialogue and contacts, they agreed to open direct air flights between Seoul and Mt. Baekdu. Mt. Baekdu is located on the border of North Korea and China and has been considered the ancestral mountain of the Korean nation. Separated family reunions will be expanded as well. Most importantly, both parties agreed ?ot to antagonize each other?and ?o oppose war on the Korean Peninsula and to adhere strictly to their obligation to nonaggression?(Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Relations, Peace and Prosperity, October 4, 2007). These are the things the two Koreas have done for reunification.

Piwowarski:
The division of Germany separated many families from their husbands/wives, grandfathers/grandmothers and uncles/aunts. They really wanted to see them again. For the sake of the separated family, money is no matter, but of course nobody expected that it would cost that much. It is impossible to estimate the future expense precisely. West Germany put a huge amount of money into the East. This is the primary factor that made the reunification possible, but is also the cause of many troubles that have prevailed until today. What brought the 1989 reunification was the strong will of the population to reunite, and the political situations where the East ran out of money to sustain itself while the West made a big effort toward reunification. The communist leadership had failed to provide the most essential supplies for the population, which put a lot of pressure on the leadership. Also, the people in the East knew about the situation in the West, even though access to West German media was restricted. I don? know about the situation exactly because I was only nine years old at the time. But I know there was a lot of illegal radio listening. East Germans thought the West was a kind of “dreamland” where everything would be possible, and many tried to flee to the West, even risking their lives. Still, nobody expected the wall to comedown so fast.

Kang-Graham:
The unification of territory is not necessarily followed by the unification of the people. Since people have lived under different systems, there are cultural differences and misperceptions of each other. An increasing number of North Korean defectors reside in South Korea, but many of them have a lot of difficulty fitting into South Korean society. They feel like they are discriminated against, disrespected, and treated as second-class citizens by arrogant South Koreans. On the other hand, many South Koreans think that North Koreans are ignorant, lazy and poor. I am curious about how the East and West Germans have felt about each other. Also, what are the biggest issues that Germany has had to deal with since reunification, and what has it done to resolve them? Are there any classes or programs in school to reduce cultural differences among the German people?

Piwowarski:
Even though Germany was unified in 1989, there is still a line between the East and the West in the minds of Germans. We can easily tell who came from which side by the way they talk, dress, or style their hair. Just like Koreans, we also have the same stereotypes and a lot of prejudices against each other. First of all, the sudden reunification of Germany made the people from the eastern part have to be confronted with a capitalist society very quickly. In a capitalist society, most people tend to be a little bit more concerned with their own interest. So, people from the East regard those from the West as selfish and not so nice, and still often say ?efore, everything was better.?It means better before the reunification. Truly, their situation has really been improved, but now they just have different expectations for social life and people? behavior. The left-wing has gained huge popularity again in Germany, and most of its supporters are in the eastern part of Germany. One of the present problems is that the West is still spending so much money to rebuild the East. Since the development gap between the two was very big, massive investment is needed to narrow the gap. What makes it worse is that people from the West still refuse to go to work in the East, while those from the East try to come to the West at any cost. In the East, the unemployment rate is almost 25%. On the other hand, in the West, a lot of people complain about all the people from the East coming to the West and taking away their jobs. Additionally, the education in the eastern part is not as good as in the western part. Highly qualified professors and teachers refuse to work in the East not only because of the low salary but also the cultural differences. So there are a lot of prejudices about the qualification of people from the East for jobs. However, I remember that when I worked for a bank, most of my co-workers came from East Germany, and we made a lot of jokes about being the only three people from West Germany out of twenty. So the situation has changed. I think the whole unification process needs more time. Germany is still far away from a perfect unification. There are no special courses or classes to reduce cultural differences. However, in my personal opinion, those kinds of courses are only partially useful, but in a lot of cases they don? fulfill their aim. On the contrary, they may even deepen the differences because they can show very strongly how different they and their ways of thinking are.

Building peace and the future:Pyongyang University of Science and Technology
By Dr. David Hyuk-hwan Kim from the PUST Founding Committee


Since reunification is a long and tough process, it is important to narrow the cultural and economic gap between the two Koreas as much as possible to prepare for a unified Korea. Education is the one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal. The Pyongyang University of Science & Technology (PUST) has taken this important step. To learn more about their initiative, I contacted the PUST and conducted an interview.

What made you decide to establish PUST?
In March 2001, the Ministry of Education of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) authorized the establishment of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) by the Northeast Asia Foundation for Education and Culture (NAFEC), a South Korean not-for-profit organization. NAFEC established China? first foreign university, the Yanbian University of Science and Technology (YUST) in Yanji City in Northeast China, which is a major Korean Chinese population center. During the past fifteen years since its opening in 1992, YUST has grown rapidly to become one of the top 100 universities in China, which is a remarkable accomplishment considering many constraints and challenges that YUST had to deal with during its growth.

Due to YUST's success, DPRK requested that Dr. James Chin-Kyung Kim, the founder of YUST, create a similar institution in DPRK in 2001. The university will be the work of countless numbers of concerned individuals and donors from DPRK, South Korea, the United States, the European Union, China, and other countries who have come together in a spirit of brotherly love to build a unique institution of higher education founded on modern educational principles.

What are the educational goals of PUST?
- to assemble a first-rate faculty and student body with proven academic potential
- to form an industry cluster with foreign firms operating in DPRK to provide first-hand experience to students seeking practical knowledge
- to educate the new generation of DPRK students who can set the nation on the road to economic development
- to cultivate engineering and business professionals who are conversant in foreign languages
- to train a workforce that will live up to the expectations of these progressive industries
- to generate specialists who are as comfortable with theory as with practical applications
- to raise the future leaders of DPRK

How does PUST select its students and recruit the faculty?
PUST will choose students from qualified candidates selected by the Ministry of Education. Most of students are to come from North Korea's most competitive colleges, such as Kim Chaek University. The ultimate capacity of PUST is planned to be about 600 graduate students and 2000 undergraduate students. PUST plans to recruit approximately 250 faculty members from prestigious universities and research institutions in the United States, South Korea, and other countries.

How is the curriculum of PUST structured?
PUST? first phase will consist of graduate-level programs, with undergraduate programs following in the second phase. The initial academic offerings will be structured within three schools: information and communication technology, industrial management, and agriculture & food technology.

- The School of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) will first offer PhD and master? degree programs in computing, electronics and communication technology.
- The School of Industrial Management (IM) will offer a master? program in business administration with specializations in management, technology, law, and international business.
- The School of Agriculture & Food Technology (AFT) also will offer PhD and master? degree programs in the areas of agricultural engineering and food processing.

In addition, the School of Engineering, Procurement & Construction (AEC) is being developed with the goal of its inclusion in the first phase scope. The School of Public Health and the School of Material Science & Mechanical Engineering will follow shortly. During their academic studies, students will have the opportunity to put theory into practice, engaging in research that caters to their interests. Each academic program will operate its own division within the center that will serve as the basis for interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Joint programs with research centers in other educational institutions, including foreign universities, will also be encouraged.

How can PUST contribute to the Korean peninsula?
PUST will serve as a vehicle of peace serving to dispel the mistrust of DPRK. Above all, this will be the meeting place where two opposing ideologies can come together and learn from each other and form a middle ground which can prove a passage to the unification.

For more info : Pyongyang University of Science & Technology (http://www.pust.net/)

2007 South - North Korea summit agreement

The South and the North have agreed to closely work together to put an end to military hostilities, mitigate tensions and guarantee peace on the Korean Peninsula. The South and the North have agreed not to antagonize each other, reduce military tension, and resolve issues in dispute through dialogue and negotiation. The South and the North have agreed to oppose war on the Korean Peninsula and to adhere strictly to their obligation to nonaggression.

1. The South and the North shall uphold and endeavor actively to realize the June 15 Declaration.
The South and the North have agreed to resolve the issue of unification on their own initiative and according to the spirit of "by-the-Korean-people-themselves". The South and the North will work out ways to commemorate the June 15 anniversary of the announcement of the South-North Joint Declaration to reflect the common will to faithfully carry it out.

2. The South and the North have agreed to firmly transform inter-Korean relations into ties of mutual respect and trust, transcending the Differences in ideology and systems.
The South and the North have agreed not to interfere in the internal affairs of the other and agreed to resolve inter-Korean issues in the spirit of reconciliation, cooperation and reunification. The South and the North have agreed to overhaul their respective legislative and institutional apparatuses in a bid to develop inter-Korean relations in a reunification-oriented direction. The South and the North have agreed to proactively pursue dialogue and contacts in various areas, including the legislatures of the two Koreas, in order to resolve matters concerning the expansion and advancement of inter-Korean relations in a way that meets the aspirations of the entire Korean people.

3. The South and the North have agreed to closely work together to put an end to military hostilities, mitigate tensions and guarantee peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The South and the North have agreed not to antagonize each other, reduce military tension, and resolve issues in dispute through dialogue and negotiation. The South and the North have agreed to oppose war on the Korean Peninsula and to adhere strictly to their obligation to nonaggression. The South and the North have agreed to designate a joint fishing area in the West Sea to avoid accidental clashes. The South? Minister of Defense and the North's Minister of the People? Armed Forces have also agreed to hold talks in Pyongyang this November to discuss military confidence-building measures, including military guarantees covering the plans and various cooperative projects for making this joint fishing area into a peace area.

4. The South and the North both recognize the need to end the current armistice regime and build a permanent peace regime. The South and the North have also agreed to work together to advance the matter of having the leaders of the three or four parties directly concerned to convene on the Peninsula and declare an end to the war.
With regard to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the South and the North have agreed to work together to implement smoothly the September 19, 2005 Joint Statement and the February 13, 2007 Agreement achieved at the Six-Party Talks.

5. The South and the North have agreed to facilitate, expand, and further develop inter-Korean economic cooperation projects on a continual basis for balanced economic development and co-prosperity on the Korean Peninsula in accordance with the principles of common interests, co-prosperity and mutual aid.
The South and the North reached an agreement on promoting economic cooperation, including investments, pushing forward with the building of infrastructure and the development of natural resources. Given the special nature of inter-Korean cooperative projects, the South and the North have agreed to grant preferential conditions and benefits to those projects.
The South and the North have agreed to create a ?pecial peace and cooperation zone in the West Sea?encompassing Haeju and vicinity in a bid to proactively push ahead with the creation of a joint fishing zone and maritime peace zone, establishment of a special economic zone, utilization of Haeju harbor, passage of civilian vessels via direct routes in Haeju and the joint use of the Han River estuary.
The South and the North have agreed to complete the first-phase construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex at an early date and embark on the second-stage development project. The South and the North have agreed to open freight rail services between Munsan and Bongdong and promptly complete various institutional measures, including those related to passage, communication, and customs clearance procedures.
The South and the North have agreed to discuss repairs of the Gaeseong-Sinuiju railroad and the Gaeseong-Pyongyang expressway for their joint use.
The South and the North have agreed to establish cooperative complexes for shipbuilding in Anbyeon and Nampo, while continuing cooperative projects in various areas such as agriculture, health and medical services and environmental protection. The South and the North have agreed to upgrade the status of the existing Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee to a Joint Committee for Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation to be headed by deputy prime minister-level officials.

6. The South and the North have agreed to boost exchanges and cooperation in the social areas covering history, language, education, science and technology, culture and arts, and sports to highlight the long history and excellent culture of the Korean people.
The South and the North have agreed to carry out tours to Mt. Baekdu and open nonstop flight services between Seoul and Mt. Baekdu for this purpose. The South and the North have agreed to send a joint cheering squad from both sides to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The squad will use the Gyeongui Railway Line for the first-ever joint Olympic cheering.

7. The South and the North have agreed to actively promote humanitarian cooperation projects.
The South and the North have agreed to expand reunion of separated family members and their relatives and promote exchanges of video messages. To this end, the South and the North have agreed to station resident representatives from each side at the reunion center at Mt. Geumgang when it is completed and regularize reunions of separated family members and their relatives. The South and the North have agreed to actively cooperate in case of emergencies, including natural disasters, according to the principles of fraternal love, humanitarianism and mutual assistance.

8. The South and the North have agreed to increase cooperation to promote the interests of the Korean people and the rights and interests of overseas Koreans on the international stage.
The South and the North have agreed to hold inter-Korean prime ministers?talks for the implementation of this Declaration and have agreed to hold the first round of meetings in November 2007 in Seoul.

* The South and the North have agreed that their highest authorities will meet frequently for the advancement of relations between the two sides.
Oct. 4, 2007 Pyongyang

Roh Moo-hyun President Republic of Korea
Kim Jong Il Chairman, National Defense Commission Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Source : Korean Overseas Information Service (http://summit.korea.net/summit/introduction.asp)