THE IMPACT OF THE UNITED-STATES NORTH-KOREAN AGREEMENT ON KOREAN REUNIFICATION

The success of the US-DPRK agreement signed in Geneva on October 21, 1 994, is a foundation on which South Korea and North Korea can establis h a new relationship built upon peace. Many doubt that North Korea wil l keep its promise to allow inspections of nuclear facilities but this issue should not be of concern. North Korea has more reasons to compl y than not. In fact, signing the agreement has ended North Korea's int ernational isolation and begins the process of normalization. The econ omic aid North Korea will receive will ease the economic crisis and in crease the standard of living. This accord is also advantageous for So uth Korea and the United States. The prospects for South Korean busine sses to merge with a skilled North Korean workforce are promising. The separated families in the North and the South can look forward to reu niting. But most importantly, the agreement negates the possibility of war on the peninsula. As for the United States, the concordance assur es America's position as policeman in international disputes. Jimmy Ca rter's visit to Pyongyang rendered a key role in setting up a framewor k for the resolution of the nuclear issue. His timing was crucial to n egotiations since Kim Il Sung died shortly thereafter. My three-staged proposal for reunification of the two Koreas is based on three princi ples: peaceful coexistence, peaceful exchange, peaceful reunification. This proposal thus strongly opposes reunification by absorption. The first stage of reunification would be the formation of a confederation with equal representation by two independent republics. The second st age could begin when the state reaches a federal system of two autonom ous regional governments. A unitary nation-state with one government w ill mark the third and final stage.