[INTERVIEW] Kim Dae-jung's son offers advice to Trump

Kim Hong-gul, chairman the Committee for National Unity at the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks in front of a portrait of his farther, the late President Kim Dae-jung, during an interview with The Korea Times at a party office, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

War of words will only worsen the situation: Kim Hong-gul

By Choi Ha-young

A visit to South Korea will be helpful for U.S. President Donald Trump to grasp the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, according to Kim Hong-gul, the youngest son of late President Kim Dae-jung.

"I hope President Trump will realize how close Seoul is to the inter-Korean border and how dangerous it is for people when a conflict arises," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times Thursday.

"Americans tend to underestimate the aftermath of the war on the faraway Korean Peninsula. While staying here for two days, I wish the President will study more and speak less to see how the possible military option would devastate the country."

In Seoul, all eyes are on the U.S. President's speech at the National Assembly on Nov. 8. The government and experts are worried that the tough-talking leader may reignite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's temper, as he did by calling the young leader "rocket man" at the United Nations General Assembly last month.

"Yet another ‘war of words' will not only worsen the situation," said Kim, chairman the Committee for National Unity in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). "Such explosive words will degrade the President's reputation to put him on the same level with the North Korean leader."

Kim was one of the key campaigners for President Moon Jae-in in May's presidential election, after joining the DPK in early 2016. After his father died in 2009, he has been vocal in defending the Nobel laureate's philosophy ― building peace and cultivating democracy on the peninsula.

Ex-President Kim is the one who pioneered the inter-Korean relationship by meeting then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Considering the North's tradition of being favorable to those who have ties with its former leaders, Kim Hong-gul has been floated as a special envoy to Pyongyang.

Kim said he will soon reveal his role in breaking the inter-Korean deadlock through a non-governmental channel. Revitalizing communication between the two Koreas and prompting North Korea's market are his core interests.

He hopes Trump can establish trust between North Korea and the U.S. on his first Asian tour. "Unless he intends to wage a war against the North, it's better to map out a diplomatic solution and boast about it as his achievement," Kim said.

To make it, restoring trust with North Korea should be the U.S. President's priority, he said. "North Korea would hesitate to sign any agreement with the U.S. to see the Iran nuclear deal at stake," Kim said.

"I view that the Washington-Pyongyang talks behind the scenes have not made meaningful progress and the Trump administration seems not fully equipped with a firm strategy to tackle North Korea, given that he just nominated Randall Schriver as an assistant secretary of defense for Asia-Pacific security affairs."

To mediate two volatile partners ― Washington and Pyongyang ― Kim called for Seoul to revisit the 20-year-old Sunshine Policy. "Some people blast the policy, saying it's only devoted to showering North Korea with rice. However, the essence of the Sunshine Policy is constantly making efforts to take the helm in shaping the nation's future.

"Given the characteristics of the incumbent U.S. administration, Seoul should be more proactive in addressing its needs. For example, the U.S. has urged its allies to maximize pressure toward Pyongyang while it's maintaining unofficial contact with the North."

He cited former President George Bush's message of peace at the Dorasan train station near the inter-Korean border in 2002 as fruit from the Sunshine Policy. Only a month after the hawkish president blasted North Korea by calling it the "axis of evil," the older Kim successfully persuaded his U.S. counterpart to promise to talk with North Korea.

Following his two-day Seoul trip, Trump is scheduled to head to Beijing. There the American leader can clear away the lingering thorn between Seoul and Beijing ― the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery installed in South Korea.

"The two parties can alleviate the military tension in Northeast Asia by sharing information about the THAAD system and U.S. strategic assets deployed in Seoul, like the Soviet and U.S. arms-reduction talks," Kim said. "It would be a good chance for the U.S. to resolve a misunderstanding about its military strategy."

As a son of the legendary democracy fighter, Kim has witnessed military dictators' crackdowns on his family members, including himself. Recently, he started looking into legal action against those who took power under ex-President Lee Myung-bak. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) under Lee allegedly attempted to revoke Kim Dae-jung's Nobel Peace Prize.

"The Lee administration abused the NIS for its own political gain," he said. "Fundamental reform is urgent. The nation cannot put off this any longer."