Regional governments reach out to North Korea for ties

By Kang Seung-woo, Lee Suh-yoon

Regional governments are seeking to re-establish ties with North Korea amid the reconciliatory mood following the historic inter-Korean summit.

There were also exchanges following the inter-Korean summit in 2000.

But that was a period of detente between the two Koreas.

Increasing military tension on the peninsula starting in 2010 brought a variety of exchange programs to a halt.

The new round of exchanges will be restricted to areas such as culture, sports and medical aid to avoid violating international sanctions that are still in place.

Seoul, for example, is trying to revive a regional football tournament between Gyeongseong, Seoul's original name, and Pyongyang. This competition ended with the Korean War.

The city government said it is currently consulting with the Ministry of Unification on this plan.

Gyeonggi Province also said it will resume its medical aid project for the disadvantaged in North Korea this year.

The program provides medication for those with tuberculosis and malnutrition.

This was suspended from the former Lee Myung-bak administration amid military tension.

North Gyeongsang Province also has plans to invite North Korean performers to its cultural events such as the Andong Mask Dance Festival.

It is considering inviting North Korean scholars to international forums it hosts such as the Korea Peninsula Future Forum.

Gwangju local government said it will seek to invite North Korean athletes to the 18th FINA World Championships it is hosting next year.

Jeju Island was one of the first regional governments to carry out an inter-Korean exchange in 1999.

It said it will meet up with its North Korean counterparts in Beijing next month to resume exchanges that were suspended from the Lee administration.

Jeju sent about five tons of its mandarin oranges to the North during their exchanges from 1999 to 2010.
In the same period, 750 Jeju residents visited North Korea by sea.