korean unification studies

Kwon Ho-Ung (aka Kwon Min), pictured on the left, was born in 1959 and attended Kim Il-Sung University. In terms of those in powerful positions in North Korea today, he is relatively young.

In 1998 he was Bureau Chief for the Beijing branch of the Committee for Asia-Pacific Peace and in 1999 he became both the Bureau Chief for Europe and Americas in the Committee for Aiding Overseas Compatriots and Councillor for the Committee for Asia-Pacific Peace. In April 2004, he was promoted to Senior Councillor of the Cabinet.

In May 2004, he replaced Kim Ryong-Song as the North’s chief delegate for inter-Korean dialogue…

Since then, he has headed several notable DPRK delegations in talks with South Korea:

• May 2004, 14th inter-Korean Ministerial Talks.
• June 2005, Seoul to meet then Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young.
• July 2006, Busan, he headed a five-member North Korean delegation that broke a stalemate in inter-Korean talks.
• February 2007, Pyongyang, headed North’s delegation for the 20th North-South Ministerial Talks.

In May 2007,  Kwon made a commemorative speech alongside Unification Minister Lee Jae-Joung prior to the departure of the trains for the historic test runs on the railway linking South and North Korea. Kwon and Lee went on to ride on the train with a total of 150 people from both North and South.

However, Kwon’s sincerity at the event was questioned. While Lee called the accomplishment “a great historic victory,” Kwon was less enthusiastic, chiding and embarrassing his South Korean counterpart by openly responding “Don’t call it ‘great’ yet”.

The South Korean press has at times reported on the abrupt and inappropriate behavior demonstrated by Kwon at inter-Korean meetings. As reported by Yonhap:

“In previous meetings with the 63-year-old Lee, Kwon, 48, raised eyebrows by reacting to Lee’s remarks bluntly with his tone of voice and attitude, according to participants in the talks. Such a gap in age in traditional Korean culture calls for respect and concession from the younger party”.

In another instance, Kwon allowed his junior to light up a (Japanese) cigarette in response to a statement made by Lee. In Korea, smoking in front of seniors is considered, particularly in the style that it was done, is considered rude.

Such behavior can be considered a part of North Korea’s unique style of diplomacy in which psychological victories over counterparts are considered as contributing to success in negotiations.

Similarly, Kwon has regularly come up with a few great speeches that in the future may be deemed classics of a once strange and bizarre era. In July 2006 he shocked a South Korean audience by stating that the Songun policy was for the protection of South Korean citizens and that a vast majority of South Korean citizens had benefited from the North’s missile and nuclear programs.