Peace in the far-off Korean peninsula has cascading effect on Indian interests as well. The landmark Summit between the South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un expected to bring peace in the Korean peninsula has also potential to reverse geo-strategic machinations in the strategic Indo-Pacific and South China Sea as well.
The tensions retching up in the region had led the United States to increase its military presence, therefore, inviting a Cold War-type response from China—which was threatening to block passage of ships.
Navigational freedom was a concern for all of the world’s trading nations that use the South China Sea route, whether it is India, Japan, China and the US. At the heart of this Chinese maneuver was the tension between the two Koreas and the US supporting its allies against the China-backed North Korea. US has a military base in South Korea and in the Pacific Ocean, that works as a deterrent to North Korea and China. For India peace in the region is of considerable significance. In 1991, about 15.6 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as external merchandise trade, went to the West through the Suez. But by 2014, half of 49.3 per cent of the GDP, as external merchandise trade, was shipped through the South China Sea to the East. As such, the South China Sea now has become more important for India unlike earlier.
The commitment of two Koran leaders to work to remove all nuclear weapons within the year, pursue talks with the United States to declare an official end to the Korean War, which ravaged the peninsula from 1950 to 1953 is a welcome step that would have a direct bearing on the Chinese behaviour as well. China's role has remained critical in North Korea. Kim became the first North Korean leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in South Korea after shaking hands with his counterpart over a concrete curb marking the border at the truce village of Panmunjom.
Nobel laurite Kim Dae-jung, who was President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003, sometimes referred to as the "Nelson Mandela of Korean peninsula had started the policy of engagement with North Korea known as Sunshine Policy. But it was criticised by the Americans, who described it a cover-up for atrocities being committed in the North Korea. He was described as "South Korea's first left-wing president" by the Soul-based US Embassy as disclosed by Wiki leaks.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) running through 38 parallel, the border between the two Koreas is a unique area, where tensions and peace have coexisted for over past 70-years. It serves as a buffer zone between the confronting ideologies. Despite tensions, however, a unique Kaeseong joint industrial zone has survived. The zone has been often quoted as a model for India and Pakistan to build cooperative relationship along the LoC and their tense borders. Set up in 2002 as a collaborative economic development, the industrial part is located 10 km inside North Korea housing 116 South Korean companies employing 42,000 North Korean low-wage employees. Despite sanctions Seoul refrained closing or scaling down cooperation at the Kaesong. But whether Moon will be able to achieve what his country’s towering leader Kim Dae Jung failed a decade ago is a million-dollar question?
