President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands at the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom at an inter-Korean summit held in April of 2018. Korea Times file

Kim Jong-un's amicable message seen as divisive tactic

By Nam Hyun-woo

Outgoing President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed amicable sentiments through letters they exchanged recently, according to South Korea's presidential office, Friday.

On the same day, however, Pyongyang continued with its bellicose rhetoric toward conservative President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, in what appears to be a familiar move from the regime's playbook of fomenting conflict between South Korea's conservative and liberal blocs amid the power transition period.

Presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee speaks during a press conference about the letter exchange between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. Yonhap

"President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently exchanged letters and reminisced about the past five years (of Moon's tenure)," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said during a press conference. "They shared the common view that efforts should continue for peace on the Korean peninsula and exchanged cordial greetings for the people of the South and the North."

According to Park, Kim said in his letter that their efforts have failed to reach the desired goal, but acknowledged that they had signed historic agreements which are indelible achievements.

The North Korean leader added that he believes relations between the two Koreas can develop to meet the expectations of Koreans if efforts continue, adding that he highly acknowledges Moon's achievements in inter-Korean relations. Kim said he will have "unwavering respect" for Moon even after the president leaves office next month.

Moon said in his letter that they have made firm steps for inter-Korean relations, and more steps should be taken with more dialogue. The president added that dialogue is now up to the incoming administration, and asked Kim to exert his efforts for inter-Korean cooperation "for a great cause."

Moon added that he hopes the U.S.-North Korea dialogue can resume promptly and that a 2018 military agreement signed by the two Koreas should serve as the foundation for unification. The agreement calls for an all-out cessation of hostile military activities against each other.

"We expect the letters, which will be the last one between Moon and Kim, will serve as a stepping stone for inter-Korean relations," Park said.

According to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official, Moon sent his letter to Kim on Wednesday, and Kim replied a day later. While the presidential office was contemplating when to reveal the letters, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported the exchange on Friday morning, and Cheong Wa Dae also responded.

The exchange of letters came amid North Korea's increasing missile and nuclear threats. The North has conducted 13 missile tests so far this year, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Multiple reports indicate that Pyongyang may also resume nuclear tests in the near future.

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"Despite the stringent circumstances of the North continuing missile tests and moving to resume nuclear tests, it is optimistic that the letters contain hopeful remarks," the senior official said. "Although we cannot presume this will change the current situation, the positive and hopeful expressions of the letters are a good sign."

The president-elect's aides also expressed a positive reaction to the letters. An aide told Yonhap News Agency, "We believe achieving peace and prosperity through denuclearization is the great cause of the Korean people."

In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo, South Korea's then-National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong, left, hands over President Moon Jae-in's letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during Chung's visit to Pyongyang. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

While revealing the cordial remarks between Moon and Kim, however, North Korea's other state media outlets churned out bellicose rhetoric targeting Yoon, describing him as "a confrontational lunatic" and "evil warmonger."

"Recently, Yoon Seok-yeol has been running wild not knowing whether a snake or a serpent is coming out of his mouth," the North's propaganda website, Uriminzokkiri, said in a Friday article.

"During an interview with foreign media on April 14, this man made malicious slanders on the republic's (North Korea) measures to strengthen its military capability and eventually spewed remarks that North Korea is the main opponent. Such comments can only be made by a confrontational lunatic and evil warmonger," it said.

Echo of Unification, another propaganda radio broadcast station, also denounced the president-elect on Friday, saying, "Yoon and his conservative groups are traitors selling Korea to the U.S. and maniacs craving for fratricidal competition."

Compared to Moon, Yoon has been heralding a hardline approach to North Korea, saying that a stronger alliance between Seoul and Washington and enhanced military capabilities will be a deterrent to the North's threats.

Experts said Pyongyang's contrasting comments are part of its usual tactic of fomenting division between South Korea's conservative and liberal blocs.

"Obviously, the North is trying to fuel conflicts between South Korea's conservative and liberal groups," said Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

"In the letter, Kim said improvements can be made in inter-Korean relations if the two Koreas work together, but it was just a flowery expression, given the harsh comments other state-run media outlets made about Yoon. If the North has expectations regarding Yoon, it would not have used such language."

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a public event at a traditional market in Haeundae District, Busan, Friday. Joint Press Corps

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at Sejong Institute, also said the North is attempting to highlight the difference between Moon's appeasement policy and Yoon's hardline approach, in order to trigger conflicts in the South.

"In September 2020, the North Korean leader sent a letter containing warm messages to Moon, but that did not result in improvements in inter-Korean relations," Cheong said.

"After the U.S.-North Korea summit ended without a deal in February 2019, North Korea has barely mentioned the agreements between Moon and Kim. Given that Pyongyang did not reveal the letter exchange to Rodong Shinmun, which is a newspaper for the general public in the North, and chose instead to report it through the Korean Central News Agency, which targets the outside world, the regime aims to shake up South Korean society with the letter," he said.