Gyeonggi Province Governor discloses plan to establish ‘peace economy’ on Korean Peninsula: ‘Creating a peace community in Northeast Asia is our long-term vision’

– Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jaemyung presented pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests and an inclusive order in Northeast Asia in his keynote speech titled “The Realization of a Safe DMZ and Peace Economy on the Korean Peninsula” at the 2021 DMZ Forum.
– He stressed the importance of resuming Kaesong Industrial Complex operations and said the two Koreas should make efforts to thoroughly abide by agreements and faithfully implement promised cooperation projects.
– Governor Lee also mentioned that the distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets is an illegal and dangerous activity that threatens the lives and safety of people.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jaemyung disclosed his plan to establish a ‘peace economy’ on the Korean Peninsula based
on the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a ‘life and peace zone’ during the 2021 DMZ Forum that ran from May 21 to 22.

In his keynote speech, titled “The Realization of a Safe DMZ and Peace Economy on the Korean Peninsula,” Governor Lee stressed efforts to enable a greater future for a peace economy era on the Korean Peninsula and a peace community in Northeast Asia by developing a life and peace zone in the DMZ along with inter-Korean relations.

Governor Lee first described the concept of a “peace economy” on the Korean Peninsula as a win-win policy for both Koreas. He said, “A peace economy on the Korean Peninsula means that we create a virtuous cycle of peace and economic prosperity. When we build a peace and economic system, this will bring peace, jobs, and economic opportunities for both Koreas,
promoting co-prosperity,” and added, “If the two Koreas restore mutual trust, normalize relations, and join together to persuade the international community, I believe this will be possible.”

Governor Lee presented pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests and an inclusive order in Northeast Asia as a response to American and Chinese competition, explaining the need to adopt new diplomatic and security principles to advance a ‘peace economy era’ on the Korean Peninsula.

He explained, “In many respects – including economic, military, and soft power – Korea has emerged as a nation at the center of global attention. In terms of self-reliance, we need to place our national interests before all else, taking a pragmatic approach and promoting local consolidation and international solidarity.”

Governor Lee continued, “Moving forward, Northeast Asia should pursue a fair and peaceful order of cooperation and inclusiveness, not power politics and the exclusive nationalism of powerful nations in this region,” adding, “It is preferable to have an inclusive order in which the national interests of all countries in the region are incorporated and in which all participate, with no country being excluded or coerced into unwanted actions.”

He noted, “We require the wisdom to find common ground and recognize differences while pursuing co-prosperity,” adding, “Multilateral solidarity beyond ideology and nationalism will aid the realization of an equitable and peaceful order in Northeast Asia.”

Governor Lee emphasized that a crucial item in achieving this aim is the accelerated development of inter-Korean relations with efforts to ensure complete adherence to agreements between the two Koreas and faithful implementation of promised cooperation projects. In this way, he explained, inter-Korean relations would advance denuclearization and peace on the
Korean Peninsula, which in turn would play a key role in realizing the long-term vision of fostering a northern economic initiative and a peace economy community in Northeast Asia.

He also asserted that relevant countries need to work together so that the UN Security Council can ease inclusive and permanent sanctions on North Korea so as to achieve the implementation of agreements between the two Koreas, such as the resumption of Kaesong Industrial Complex operations, the linkage of inter-Korean railways and roads, and humanitarian assistance.

Regarding why the resumption of the Kaesong Industrial Complex operations is needed, Governor Lee stressed that it was a successful experiment undertaken by the two Koreas, one that demonstrated how peace brings economic prosperity and economic prosperity facilitates peace, thus enabling the establishment of a virtuous cycle.

In addition, he emphasized the importance of the law banning the distribution of antiPyongyang leaflets as adherence to a promise made by inter-Korean authorities to put an end to South-North confrontations and as a measure to protect the lives and safety of people near the border.

Governor Lee said, “The distribution of these leaflets may cause military tension and threaten the lives and safety of people while also damaging peace. The ban on the distribution of leaflets itself is not a limitation on the freedom of expression, but rather a minimal and inevitable measure that ensures greater freedom and protects even more lives by limiting a specific means of expression that can engender violence and military confrontation.”

In addition, he mentioned the province’s vision to transform the DMZ, which has symbolized national division and confrontation, into a land of creativity for life and peace, saying, “If the two Koreas can work together to establish or attract international organizations and research institutes related to peace, ecology, and the environment, then the DMZ can be reborn as an international hub of these fields and as a center for ensuring permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Governor Lee concluded his keynote speech by saying, “Gyeonggi Province will do its utmost on the road to the development of inter-Korean relations as well as peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. We look forward to all DMZ Forum attendees joining us on this journey.”

The 2021 DMZ Forum ran from May 21 to 22 under the theme of “Opening the New Horizon of Peace.” Scholars, experts, and representatives of peace NGOs from home and abroad participated in a total of 20 sessions to discuss various aspects of peace on the Korean Peninsula.