Jeju, Island of World Peace

1. Initiating reconciliation and cooperation with the wind of peace from Jeju
“Where does peace come from?” The question would first bring Jeju Island to mind. This is because Jeju’s recognition as the Island of Peace carries an important meaning, as local projects for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation have had a significant impact on the national-scale inter-Korean exchanges. Jeju’s inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects have popularized the meaning of its designation as the Island of Peace, and at the same time, have been differentiated as concrete practice for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The cooperative projects of the Jeju provincial government, such as the Jeju tangerine-sending project, were significant in building the foundation of the mood for inter-Korean peace and in putting concrete peace into practice. Jeju’s move toward exchange and cooperation, which was promoted along with its residents, built a model that other local governments should emulate in designing their own exchange and cooperation projects. With the experience of success, Jeju, the Island of Peace, is expected to discover promotional projects for peace on the Korean Peninsula and create substantive results, going beyond the local government level to the international level, in realizing inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.

Facing the 80th anniversary of national division, the situation on the Korean Peninsula nearing 80 years remains unstable. The indefinite state of “armistice” has continued for nearly seven decades without declaring the “end of the war”. Over the past years, several inter-Korean summits were held, and meaningful agreements were reached to ease tensions and boost inter-Korean exchanges. The bilateral agreements meant that the Korean Peninsula, full of tension and conflict, could be transformed at will into an area of reconciliation and peace.

However, concrete actions for reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula also revealed limitations. Although military tensions have eased and physical clashes have decreased, social and cultural exchanges have been severed due to the stalemate of inter-Korean relations. There have been summit meetings, tourism projects, major sports games, and art troupe interactions. Nevertheless, diverse types of exchange and cooperation projects have failed to overcome the political standstill. The Korean Peninsula is still in a state of unstable peace.

For concrete peace and shared prosperity that go beyond surmounting national division, it remains the utmost priority to deviate from the perspectives of the Cold War and division. The inter-Korean division and conflict has been embodied in its overall current state for a prolonged period of time. When it comes to an affair related to North Korea, one would subconsciously wonder if it will be allowed. In contemporary Korean history, ideology has not been a matter of political choice. Once a side was chosen, it was difficult to survive unless strongly opposing the other side. Showing even the slightest interest or sympathy was a matter of life or death. Koreans have spent those long years making automatic reactions before making rational decisions. They experienced the past where the terms “reconciliation” and “cooperation” sounded unfamiliar and awkward. It cannot be denied that the Korean Peninsula still bears the deeply entrenched memories of the Cold War, regardless of the détente in other areas of world history.

Now is the time to create a moment of peace. Peace is not given from outside. It should be built by the hands of the parties directly related to the Korean Peninsula issues. It is necessary to overcome the decades-long sense of division and envision and experience a new Korean Peninsula. The inter-Korean exchange and cooperation project is a breakthrough in opening new inter-Korean relations and a stepping stone to realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, for the practice of peace, the symbol and meaning of the inter-Korean exchange and cooperation project of Jeju, the Island of Peace, bears a special significance.

In order for inter-Korean cultural exchange to contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula, spread consensus on national unification, and communicate cultural differences between the two Koreas, it should take the form of an exchange and cooperation project that fits the peace regime. Local governments would play a significant role in creating a tangible energy of Korean peace in people’s daily lives and in moving toward lasting peace. As an example, the importance of proper harmony and balance between the roles of the central and the local governments was fully confirmed in the case of German unification.

Inter-Korean exchange at a local government level should be promoted in appropriate harmony with the cooperation of the central government. Jeju is a symbolic and meaningful region as the Island of Peace, and has led exemplary success stories through its efforts towards inter-Korean exchanges. Jeju Island successfully conducted the tangerine-sending project, which is evaluated as a successful case of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation; and the results were carried over to the carrot- and black pig-sending projects. Jeju’s experience of success has many implications for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation on a local government scale. This brings attention to Jeju’s role in creating a stable and cooperative model.

In promoting inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, Jeju should discover projects that befit the status and role of the Island of Peace that it pursues. Plans are needed to discover projects that would lead to tangible outcomes for Jeju residents, while establishing them as practical and successful cases. Simultaneously, the philosophy and vision of peace that the Island of Peace conceives should be disseminated to both the South and the North. Jeju also needs to serve as a field of practical education for a broader consensus on settling peace on the Korean Peninsula. As a process of establishing peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula, the achievements of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation should be extended to peace education. Meanwhile, a virtuous cycle of peace should be created through peace education to generate a driving force for inter-Korean exchanges.

 

2. Establishing the orientation and foundation for Jeju’s inter-Korean exchanges
1) Jeju’s orientation for inter-Korean exchanges
Jeju Island, working to establish itself as an “island of world peace”, is required to act in accordance with its status and role of a special self-governing province. Jeju can more actively conduct projects related to exchange and cooperation, not just for the international community but also between the two Koreas. Jeju’s inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects should be pursued under the following principles and orientations in consideration of the island’s uniqueness and current inter-Korean relations.

First, the projects should fit the symbolism of Jeju, the Island of Peace. The meaning of Jeju’s designation as the “Island of World Peace” in 2005 should not be diluted. Jeju should lead peace on the Korean Peninsula while solidifying its image as the Island of Peace.

Second, it is important to seek consensus from the residents of the Island of Peace. The previous inter-Korean exchange projects could form a local consensus because these projects reflected the characteristics of Jeju Island. Jeju’s forthcoming exchange and cooperation projects also need to be conducted with the consensus of residents. By featuring local uniqueness, the exchange projects should be able to serve as a driving force for regional development while expanding a consensus on the issue of building peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Third, Jeju should envision a mutually cooperative project. The local project should proceed in a direction that allows mutual cooperation between Seoul and Pyongyang. The 2018 Panmunjom Declaration was agreed on, based on the principle of promoting exchange and cooperation to reinvigorate mutual understanding and common interests. Exchange and cooperation should not be a process of seeking a unilateral benefit or receptiveness. A point of inter-Korean contact needs to be discovered in areas that can bring mutual benefits. These areas would include agricultural, fishery, animal husbandry and livestock processing, and bottled water industries, which could allow inter-Korean cooperation.

Fourth, Jeju’s projects should involve people-to-people exchanges. Ultimately, a project for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation would represent a project for national unification that promotes mutual understanding through emotional exchange between people living in the two Koreas. The local projects should include human exchanges also to disseminate the meaning of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and to broaden social consensus.

Fifth, inter-Korean projects for cooperation should feature potential for international cooperation. Jeju’s projects should also be promoted within an international network and cooperative partnership. The local efforts should lead to projects for communication not just between Seoul and Pyongyang, but also with the international community, so that they can be internationalized and draw global attention.

 

2) Jeju’s foundations for inter-Korean exchanges
The foundation for promoting inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects on Jeju would be the Jeju Provincial Master Plan for Inter-Korean Exchanges and its infrastructure. The master plan provides the basis for promoting mid- and long-term local projects for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation. Based on this master plan, a mid- and long-term roadmap should be formulated and a foundation for exchange and cooperation should be established.

The core of the infrastructure for exchange and cooperation is the leading organization and human infrastructure. It is absolutely crucial to stabilize the organization that will lead the projects in the long term. Also needed is to mobilize the necessary financial resources for projects such as research and investigation for exchange and cooperation, human resource training, and practical education, while investing those resources in the relevant projects implemented for inter-Korean exchanges. Additionally, public-private governance should be established. To engage various actors and to allow for exchange in different forms, a flexible structure needs to be constructed that can accept diversity.

The local government should also train specialists; the personnel who can plan policies for exchange and cooperation, develop projects to lead inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, and educate others on the results of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects to link them to extended educational projects on peace.

The Plan for Jeju Peace Archiving Center could also be considered as a physical space where the achievements of exchange and cooperation can be accumulated. The center, as a space for peace on Jeju Island and its efforts towards inter-Korean exchange, would need to expand the achievements of local exchange and cooperation projects. To this end, the center would be able to include a space to preserve and manage data, such as information about North Korea, documents detailing administrative support and consultation for exchanges and cooperation, and archives of historical documents on the process of promoting inter-Korean cultural exchange projects. The multi-faceted functions of the space would eventually transform the center into a hub for education, helping it serve as a place for peace education.

 

3. Jeju’s potential fields of exchange and cooperation; project details
Jeju has the experience of having achieved successful outcomes in the past inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects. The island’s projects emphasized the necessity of mutual cooperation while demonstrating the characteristics of Jeju Island as a special self-governing province. In continuing the promotion of its inter-Korean exchange projects, Jeju should prepare for the era of peace by preparing for project resumption in line with the restoration of inter-Korean relations, while developing and implementing mid- and long-term plans in parallel.

The local government of Jeju can promote a diversity of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects. It has sufficient experience in implementing successful projects. The provincial government has planned reciprocal inter-Korean visits by tourists, titled “From Halla to Baekdu,” and a mutual cooperation project for preserving the ecological environment of Hallasan and Baekdusan Mountains. In particular, Jeju has made a concerted effort towards the “5+1” project, which is a significant project that must be implemented with the aim of reconciliation and cooperation between Seoul and Pyongyang.

While opening its doors to various possibilities, the local government should discover what can be conducted first, and, while monitoring their progress, it can promote other cooperative projects. For Jeju’s projects towards inter-Korean exchange, the following projects could be planned:

First, a cooperative project in connection with events, festivals, and other special occasions held on Jeju; second, a documentary production of Jeju Island and Baekdusan Mountain; third, a joint art festival with the theme of peace; fourth, an inter-Korean academic exchange based on the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity; fifth, exchange in the field of physical education. The last area of cooperation could be comprised of methods such as exchange of sports teams, joint off-season training, joint ins-season training, provision of training equipment, and provision of training sites.

Exchange and cooperation projects feature relativism. These projects cannot be achieved through the efforts of others. For inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, North Korea needs to change its passive and defensive attitude. Pyongyang still perceives social and cultural exchanges with the south as a “threat” to its ideology. The hostility created by the long-standing division of Korea also remains powerful. Thus, the inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects, from the onset, should be agreeable to the situation on the Korean Peninsula with little resistance and allow people to feel the tangible outcomes of cooperation. Exchange and cooperation projects promoted and planned by the Jeju government require a strategic approach so as to discover projects that are suitable for the local conditions of Jeju and, at the same time, are highly likely to be accepted by the North. It is necessary to secure scalability by preparing new project items in addition to the existing ones. The following projects are suggested as the projects that Jeju can first consider promoting.

The first project is the production of a documentary about Hallasan and Baekdusan Mountains. Jeju’s natural environment draws attention as one of the world’s best landscapes, of great geological value. Jeju can produce a documentary about the island’s beautiful environment and the natural ecology of Baekdusan Mountain at the same time. The production of the environmental documentary on the symbolic mountains of South and North Korea will help introduce the beauty of their land to the residents on the South and the North. Eventually, it will provide an opportunity to discover the value of the Korean Peninsula as a global heritage and urge the residents of South and North Korea to pay attention to inter-Korean peace.

Recently, North Korea has also actively produced travel documentaries introducing local attractions. These documentaries could be aired by both sides. It would be an opportunity to popularize Jeju to North Koreans. The Halla-Baekdu documentary on the nature of Hallasan Mountain that North Korean residents could learn in school would make a good broadcasting resource for Pyongyang.

Jeju-related content introduced in North Korean geography textbooks could also be scenic spots. In the first year of elementary middle school “Geography” class, the textbook refers to the eight scenic views of Korea (“Joseon”): Baekdusan Mountain, Geumgangsan Mountain, Myohyangsan Mountain, Moranbong Peak, Bujeon Plateau, Bulguksa Temple, Jirisan Mountain, and Haeundae Beach”. The textbook also mentions “Gyeongseong Hot Spring, Monggeumpo, Hallyeosudo, Byeonsan Peninsula, Haeinsa Valley, Buyeo, Songnisan Mountain, and ‘Hannasan’ Mountain” as Joseon’s eight representative scenic spots. The second-year geography textbook for elementary and middle schools also introduces Jeju Island, Geoje Island, and Namhae Island as islands in the “South Sea of ​​Joseon”.

The second project is the Halla-Baekdu Go (“Baduk”) Tournament. As both South and North Korea are very familiar with the game of Baduk, the project would create a huge ripple effect. South Korea has so many club members that Baduk is broadcast on a separate channel. It is also a popular sport in North Korea. It has yet to be popularized when compared with Janggi (Korean chess) or Jupae (cards). However, North Korea has paid keen attention to the game as shown by the foundation of the Baduk Association in September 1989 and the National Baduk Tournament, which started in 1990 and was registered in 1991 as an organization under the state-led Sports Technique Alliance.

For inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects, Baduk has several advantages. It is in the non-political field, with few variables in exchange, as well as the possibility of being conducted both online and offline. Loved by many international fans, the game has immense potential in terms of expandability into international competitions. The scope of entry is also wide as not only professional players, but also amateurs and students can participate.

The third suggestion involves a tea of peace. In the past, tea plants were not cultivated in North Korea because of the sensitivity to the climate. Pyongyang has attempted to grow tea since 1982. Former DPRK President Kim Il-sung, who visited Shandong Province, China, started a tee-farming project, saying that it would be possible to grow tea in North Korea, located at the same latitude as Shandong Province. After 25 years of failure due to an unsuitable climate and other conditions, Pyongyang finally succeeded in growing tea in 2008. After the successful cultivation of tea plants, a tea culture began to be developed in earnest with a focus on Eunjeong Tea, brewed with Gangnyeong green tea, under the instruction of Kim Jong-il, who called for good production and supply of Eunjeong Tea. Enjeong Tea is a representative North Korean tea brand made with green tea leaves from the Gangnyeong region. It was also introduced during the 2018 inter-Korean summit.

Major areas of Pyongyang also have Eunjeong Tea House specializing in Eunjeong Tea. At Eunjeong Tea House on Changjeon Street, visitors can taste green tea, black tea, Cheolguaneum tea, barley tea, buckwheat tea, and corn silk tea. Although Pyongyang has promoted tea as an emerging industry, it is in the initial stages in terms of product diversity, quality control, and spread to related industries.

The inter-Korean exchange and cooperation project through tea cultivation and management and the related industry will create momentum for Jeju to publicize the image of its tea brand. By linking tea from Jeju Island with tea from North Korea, it could launch a product branded as “Tea of Peace” or “Tea of Unification”.

Hopefully, Jeju’s efforts for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation will result in fruitful outcomes, so that scholars from the South and the North can watch the Halla-Baekdu Cup Baduk Tournament and the nature documentary of Baekdusan Mountains, while drinking the Tea of Unification together.