북한의 ‘서해5도 수역’ 인식 변화와 평화 정착의 가능성

Abstract

The article articulates the history regarding North Korea’s awareness of the five islands in the West Sea which are located adjacent to the maritime boundaries. It is central to think of any issue from the view of an opponent to pursue a peaceful solution, as well as to set up a security policy. This article aims to find some possibilities of peace from the history of North Korea’s awareness about the provisional statuses of the boundaries surrounding the five islands of the West Sea, where they have increasingly realized the economic profits. The article demonstrates six issues: First, it highlights the uncertainty of the establishment of the NLL as well as the issue regarding five Islands of West Sea specified in the armistice agreement, which became the main reason for North Korea’s denial of the NLL. Second, it explains the reasons why North Korea raised the maritime boundary issue at the Military Armistice Commission in 1973. Third, it articulates the event of inter-Korean high-level discussions in the 1990s, when the issue of the five Islands in the West Sea was first discussed between the two nations. Fourth, it examines North Korea’s declaration of the Military Demarcation Line after the outbreak of the Battle in the West Sea. Fifth, it looks into the reason underlying North Korea’s acceptance of the West Sea Special Zone for Peace and Cooperation in the October 4 North-South Korea Summit Declaration. Sixth, it discusses the reason why North Korea accepted the proposal to settle a peace zone in the NLL area in the 2018 “Military Agreement for the Implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration”. Through assessing these issues, the article concludes that North Korea has begun to realize the benefits of recognizing the NLL and has perceived its legitimacy as an economic interest.