The UB Post-Leading English News

The name of two Korea used common English word like Korea, but in their language sounds different like Hanguk and Choson. The first name appeared in modern time, another one exists since the historical time of their history. When the founder of DPRK Kim Il Sung hoped the state which he established will be the democratic one, but it became an authoritarian since its creation till now. Two states became such different because its creators used the foreign ideology and statehood establishment experience, namely used the Western or American and Soviet style. Since their establishment followed the wrong and worse way of development, it is real attraction of the past the century’s political diversion which happened due the confrontation of two systems and the affection of the Cold War. Since that time the Korean Peninsula fall in trouble and it lasted already five decades. It’s a real tragedy for one nation which had same history and cultural legacy. One nation had two different face and notion. Their problems became headache for many countries which share same region in the North East Asia like Mongolia.

The world community should help them to solve their problem without any violence and interfere their domestic affairs with less involvement of major powers. The super powers tried to solve the regional dispute throughout the four and six party talks, but it doesn’t works as we observe it during the last decade. In these days, we watch how the tension between two Korea’s became worse since explosion of the South Korea’s naval ship “Cheonan” in early of this year.

MONGOLIA AND KOREAN PENINSULA
There is a period in Mongolian history, where it had close relations with Korea. According to historians, these relations had a history of millennium. It began in the Kidan period and later during the Great Mongol State and Yuan Empire, Mongols made kin relations with Korean royal family eight times. Also it is well described in “Korea Sa”, the Korean historical annals, that Koreans paid levies and duties to Mongolia. These relations broke by 200 years of the Manchu Qing dynasty domination over Mongolia. With the victory of 1911 Xinhai revolution, the Manchu dynasty was overthrown over China and Mongolia, became independent states, while Korea was a colony of Japan till 1945. During these times, particularly in 1911-1915, when the Korean exile government has been based in Shanghai, there were traces of their activists visiting Mongolia. Some of them, like Dr. Lee Te In had been awarded the Erdene Ochir Order from the Government of Mongolia led by the Bogdo Khaan.

With 1915 the trilateral treaty of Khyakta, Mongolia lost its independence and the liberation movements were postponed. The Mongolian patriots of that time wrote in newspapers like Shine Toli, published in Khuree, about how Korea lost its liberty and about its future.

At the end of WW II, the situation changed and Korea regained its independence and in 1948, due to specific historic reasons it was divided into two parts. This separation led to the civil war in 1950. At that time (1948), Mongolia after the Soviet Union recognized the DPRK. It is also was led from the historic reasons. From the one hand, the historic relations were reclaimed, from the other side, both were satellite communist countries to the Soviet Union and didn’t have other choices. This relationship lasted till the end of the Cold War. The interesting point was the leaders of two states Yu.Tsedenbal and Kim Il Sung were married with the Soviet spouses and were Moscow’s son-in-laws. But Kim Il Sung broke his political marriage under the pressure of the Korean society. The Mongolian leader Yu.Tsedenbal kept his marriage till end his life and died in Moscow in 1985.

During the 1950-1953 civil war on the Korean Peninsula, Mongolia received 500 North Korean orphan children and educated them in Mongolia till the end of 1950s. The relationship with the North Korea lessened during the Cultural Revolution in China and recovered in the 1970s and were developed to the peak in the 1980s. In 1986, Mongolian leader J.Batmunkh and in 1988, Kim Il Sung paid the state visits to each other.

Until the Soviet Perestroika, Mongolia pursued the proletarian internationalism principles in its foreign policy and was the member of the Eastern block trailing the Soviets. In meantime, DPRK was forming Kim Il Sung’s Chuchhe society under the Maoist model.

During the Soviet Perestroika and the fall of communism as a system, Mongolia chose the democratic tracks and recognized the Republic of Korea or South Korea and established diplomatic relations in 1990 at the ambassadorial level. By doing so, Mongolia became one of the first Eastern Block countries that set links with the two Koreas. Why did we recognize the South Korea? First of all, for the first time the 70 years, Mongolia made an able and independent decision in its foreign policy. Also, the South Korea’s policy towards North had an effect.

The Northern policy was declared by South Korean President Roh Tae-woo in 1988. This was a three phase foreign policy tactics. In the first phase, to obtain recognition from the socialist allies of the DPRK through utilizing the Seoul Olympics as an advertisement. The second stage was to get the recognition from the two major DPRK’s allies Soviet Union and China through using the Gorbachev’s Perestroika and China’s reforms as a bridge. At the final stage, to stabilize relations with the North Korea further solving the issues of reunification.

 Roh Tae-woo went down the history of Korea and the international relations by implementing the first two phases in 1988-1992. During this period, the two Koreas found their legal seats at the United Nations, the reputations of both strengthened and foreign relations developed.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990, Mongolia and South Korea relations rapidly developed and reached the mutually friendly partnership level. According to the Foreign Policy Concept of Mongolia, ROK is the third partner in Asia after China and Japan and is one of the major donors.

The relations between two nations in the field of politics, economy, history, culture and education and humanitarian affairs are fully developing as are the track-two relations and high level visits have become regular: President Roh Tae-woo and Kim Dae-jung visited Mongolia. South Korean President Roh Tae-woo became the second Korean national that received Order of Erdene Ochir. Also, among the recipients were Russian Czar Nicolas II by the Bogdo Khaan’s decree in 1913 and Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu in 1991.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON MONGOLIAN RELATIONS WITH TWO KOREAS
The North and South Korea’s are in priority of Mongolia’s foreign policy towards Asia. Both are near neighbors, partners and friends. Mongolia is one of the few Asian countries which is having these type of relations with both, may be after China and Russia.

In 1993 when Mongolia’s foreign policy became self- reliant, DPRK announced its nuclear program. It received worldwide condemns and the USA went to the international sanctions. At that time, Mongolia did not directly follow the USA. Mongolia supported when the USA and North Korea held their nuclear negotiations. In addition, Mongolia announced that it is ready to offer its support in mediating between the two Korea’s on the issues of settling the normal relations. One of its signs is the visit of Mongolian Foreign Minister and top Parliament delegation to Pyongyang in February 1998. Mongolia approved its position during the visit of the President Kim Dae-jung to Mongolia in June, 1999. The idea about possible Mongolian participation to both Korea’s negotiation rise by myself during the delegation Directors of Diplomatic Academy and Deans of Institute of International Relations in September, 1998 audience to the President Kim Dae-jung in his Blue Palace in Seoul.

As all we know, during the US President Clinton’s visit to the South Korea in April 1996, he initiated to start the four party talks (US, China, North Korea and South Korea).On December 9-10, 1997, the first stages of negotiations began in Geneva and later the second stage took place in Beijing, failing to reach any success. This proved that this mechanism will no longer help. On this view, mediators role could fall on Mongolia, which has good relation with both Koreas and is a small Asian neighbor and has similar route of development passing socialism. The North Korea doesn’t trust believe to the super powers honesty and might trust on small countries, like Mongolia’s mediation in future. Now Mongolian foreign service doing some efforts towards the mediation, which not officially announced yet. I do believe some day it will reach some success.

After taking the office, the President Kim Dae-jung initiated to form the North East Asia Peace and Stability Declaration and possibly including Mongolia among the US, Japan, Russia, China and the two Koreas. The future of the talks still unclear and unpredictable and it doesn’t works as shown by recent years development .So the international community should think twice on that issue. We, Mongolia, are ready to make an active role on that. That is an opinion of man who is trainer of trainers of future Mongolian diplomats and foreign services.

During recent years the cross culture exchange between Mongolia and Republic of Korea increased by 4-5  times and number Mongolian students in the South reached 3000 and number Mongolians working in the South already reached by some statistics 30,000 and these quantity will increase in coming years too. This flow goes by two way. Numbers of Koreans also increased in Mongolia and live there and do some business nor study. We have same genealogical origin and we have same feature and we belongs to the same language family and we a lot of similarity in our history and everyday life custom. In addition I would say during recent years Mongolian top parliamentarians visited the North many times and our Prime Minister visited the North Korea and our business people now ready to invest to their economy while it will opened and the flow of the North Korean refugees and immigrants to the South goes through Mongolia with the assistance of the UN High Commission on refugee. The Mongolian private sector ready to receive the North Korean workers rather than to have   the Chinese workers. Now numbers of North Koreans already arrived to Mongolia. Mongolia time to time has offered considerable assistance in overcoming the food shortage. Unfortunately, all this assistance is given to the army rather than the hungry ordinary people.

CONCLUSION
On the above mentioned views, the following conclusions can be made:
The Geneva and Beijing talks as well as rest talks showed that the four party talks are of no use.

The USA, Russia, Japan, China, two Korea’s and possibly Mongolia, nations invited by Kim Dae-jung’s initiated Declaration, must give support to the notion.

Mongolia, having the experience of one social direction, differs from the others in understanding the DPRK’s position.

Mongolia and both Korea’s can develop unique relations based upon the historic backgrounds, similarities and relationships. Would be an another advantage.

Japan and Korea, which had sensitive relations since the beginning of the 20th century. Korea has complain on using the Korean woman as a comfort woman by the Japanese soldiers during wartime. Tensions over the Tokto or Takeshima island still exists. Discrimination of the Koreans in Japan as a “Jainichi” still made a problem between the two nations. Also Japans position in the unification of the Korea’s differs from the others, which may result barriers to solving the Peninsula issues.

Japan and ROK both have strategic partnership relations with the USA and the USA has an important role in defining their future relations.

Finally, the fate of the security and unification of the Korean Peninsula will be dependent upon the relevant relations and position of the countries. There are a different case rather than the PRC had “two system, one nation” towards Hong Kong or Macao. May be in case of two Korea’s may be the Taiwanese position towards reunification of both China on the principle one system, one nation” will   be suitable. It would depend on how the Stalinist model of authoritarian regime in the North Korea will change towards the democracy and locked society will change to open society. The Korean Peninsula security and unification issue it is deal of one nation, but it is impossible solve problems without external involvement in this stage of history. Much better solve the problems without direct involvement of major powers.  I do hope one day two Korea’s will united into one state and will have joy be together as one nation and live in harmony.