Cooperation with International Societies on the DMZ:Current Status and Suggestions TaekGoo KANG 2017.06.14

Contents Ⅰ. Significance of the Cooperation with International Societies Ⅱ. North Korea’s views on the Peaceful Use of the DMZ Ⅲ. Review of the International Cooperation on the DMZ Ⅳ. Internal and External Environments of the Cooperation on the DMZ Ⅴ. Suggestions 02

Ⅰ. Significance of the Cooperation with International Societies 03 § Ensuring stable support from international societies on the DMZ § Overcoming difficulties in proceeding a cooperation project between South and North Korea § Securing financial resources for cooperation with international societies § Inducing and facilitating sustainable cooperation of North Korea § Establishing conditions of reconciliation and cooperation for the foundation of peaceful unification

Ⅱ. North Korea’s views on the Peaceful Use of the DMZ 04 Date Contents Source 1995 The DMZ could be controlled only by the US and North Korea, and ‘the concrete wall(defense wall)’ had to be pull down Statement of the National Committee on Environmental Protection spokesperson 2002 North and South Korea agreed to reconnect themain railway and build a highway parallel to it through the DMZ - 2004 Opposed to designate the DMZ corridor as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Statement of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea and of the Ministry of Land and Environment protection 2013 Discussions on the DMZ park plan woulddepend on the success of the talkson the Kaesong Industrial Complex KimYang-gon, department head of North Korea’s United Front, mentioned to the former CEO of the PyonghwaMotorsCorporation 2014/2015 Criticized the idea for the establishment of the DMZ peace park Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, Statement of the Committee for the peaceful reunification of Korea, and Country Labor Coalition Association v North Korean defector regard the concrete wall in DMZ as construction for the permanent division of two Koreas

Ⅲ. Review of the International Cooperation on the DMZ 05 Date Contents 1966~68 The former Korean Association for Conservation of Nature with Smithsonian Institution(US) investigated ecological surveys near the DMZ 1971 The chief representative of the Military Armistice Commission(MAC), Feliz H. Rogers, first suggested the demilitarization of the DMZ 1979 IUCN first suggested the creation of the DMZ World Peace Park as a way of using the DMZ peacefully 1992 UNEP proposed the concept of the DMZ park again 1994 UNDP suggested the designation of the nature reserve in the DMZ as one of the midterm cooperation projects between two Koreas 1997 Korean National Commission for UNESCO published the report for the establishment of Transboundary Biosphere Reserve(TBR) 2001 A letter signed by thechairperson of MAB National Committee of the South Korea wasdelivered to the chairperson of the North Korea -The letter stressed the value and conservation of the DMZ and to suggest the establishment of the TBRs 2004 The international conference on DMZ publicized the opportunity for the DMZ to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cross-Boundary Peace Park - ‘A Statement on DMZ’ was adopted • IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature • UNDP: United Nations Development Program • TBRs: Transboundary Biosphere Reserves • EABRN: East Asian Biosphere Reserve Network • UNEP: United Nations Environment Program • UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization • MAB: Man and the Biosphere Program

Ⅲ. Review of the International Cooperation on the DMZ 06 Date Contents 2007 Two transboundary initiatives were included in the program of Summit talks between the leaders of the South and North Korea with IUCN’s Regional Protected Areas Program 2010 International Conference on Conservation and Peaceful Use of the Korean DMZ hosted by Ministry of Environment, Gangwon-Province, Gyeonggi-Province, UNESCO, IUCN - ‘Recommendations for Achieving Nature, Peace and Local Development in the DMZ and adjoining areas’ was adopted 2011 The 5 th IUCN Asia Regional Conservation Forum - The pavilion about the DMZ, wetlands, and Korean national parks was operated 2012 Korean Pavilion about green growth and the DMZ was operated at WCC, Jeju 2014 International Symposium on Biodiversity Conservation and Peace Building in the Korean DMZ held in Pyeongchang, South Korea - IUCN encouraged the South and the North Korea to work towards consensus and to apply for international recognition of the DMZ as an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - ‘A Statement on Transboundary Conservation for Biodiversity and Peace’ was adopted 2015 The first World Leaders’ Conservation Forum held in Jeju, South Korea- Experts suggested a more scientific approach to the Eco-Peace Park in the DMZ • WCC: World Conservation Congress

Ⅳ. Internal and External Conditions of Cooperation on the DMZ 07 § Possible improvement on inter-Korean relations after the inauguration of the Moon government 1. Internal Conditions § Launch of the Green Climate Fund(GCF) in Korea § International non-governmental organizations in Korea § Lack of funds and control tower for the peaceful use of the DMZ • During the Presidential election campaign, Democratic Party of Korea announced the development of the DMZ as a tourism area for ecology, peace, and security • Seeking a way to cooperate with North Korea on the DMZ with the international Societies • Development Bank(KDB) became Korea’s first accredited entity(AE) of the GCF in December 2016 ※ AEs carry out a range of activities that usually include the development of funding proposals and the management and monitoring of projects and programs

08 Ⅳ. Internal and External Conditions of Cooperation on the DMZ 2. External Conditions § U.N. agency to continue aid provisions to North Korea United Nations in North Korea - Six resident UN agencies working in North Korea: FAO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, and WHO Resident International NGOs - Six European NGOs function under the aegis of the Europe Union’s Aid Cooperation Office - They are known internally as EUPS(European Union Program Support) units International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) and International Committee of the Red Cross Foreign governments -The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation -The Italian Development Cooperation Office -A Swedish Agricultural Rehabilitation Project § Not enough interest from the international society in the peaceful use of the DMZ • In 2016, UNDP provided aid worth 3 million U.S. dollars with North Korea for food insecurity, energy developments in rural area, environment, and natural disaster mitigation(especially watershed management and forest restoration to respond to the natural disasters) • International Agencies working in North Korea

09 Ⅳ. Internal and External Conditions of Cooperation on the DMZ 2. External Conditions § Intensified sanctions against the North Korea § North Korea’s negative views on the peaceful use of the DMZ § Severance of the communication channel with North Korea • US House approved new sanctions on North Korea in May 2017 • North Korea’s rocket launch and a series of the nuclear tests caused the aggravation in relation between two Koreas • In Feb. 2016, Seoul shut down joint North-South Korea industrial complex, one of the last symbols of cooperation between two Koreas • North Korea strongly oppose the use of the DMZ • North Korea normally views the DMZ as the result of the Korean War and the permanent division

Ⅴ. Suggestions 10 § Mutual benefit among concerned parties • Building mutual trust 1. Direction of cooperation § Multilateral approach § Conform to the efforts of the international community • Reconnected railways and highways through Heavily armed DMZ (Economic Benefic) • Participation of international societies including surrounding countries (China), INGO • Contribution to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) goals § Comprehensive approach

11 2. Suggestions for international cooperative projects § Retry to designate the DMZ as a biosphere zone by UNESCO § Promote the DMZ as a hub for the preservation of the Asian ecosystem § Conduct an ecological survey on the DMZ § Apply climate change adaptation programs for developing countries to the DMZ project Ⅴ. Suggestions • A project on the management and utilization of the South-North shared river for the prevention of natural disasters as an adaptation to climate change • A project on the prevention of the forest damages by blight and harmful insects