China, Japan must be convinced that Korean unification in their interests: Former UN chief Ban

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to persuade China and Japan that a unified Korea would serve their interests, not just the broader international community, during a government-led forum on North Korean issues on Tuesday.

Dignitaries, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, center left in front row, pose for a photo at the Global Korea Forum at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF UNIFICATION]

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to persuade China and Japan that a unified Korea would serve their interests, not just the broader international community, during a government-led forum on North Korean issues on Tuesday.

"Convincing China and Japan that Korean unification will be advantageous for their own national interests, as well as for global peace, is crucial," Ban said during a keynote speech for the Global Korea Forum in Seoul. The forum, co-hosted by South Korea’s Unification Ministry and Yonsei University’s Political Research Institute and Institute of East and West Studies, featured panelists that included North Korea experts and defectors.

Citing concerns about a potential resurgence of a Cold War-style division between South Korea, the United States and Japan on one side and North Korea, China and Russia on the other, Ban stressed that unification should be framed as a contributor to peace and stability, rather than as a challenge to these blocs. He then urged diplomatic efforts to reassure China that the Korea-U.S. alliance is not intended to antagonize Beijing.

He also noted the importance of maintaining strong relations with Russia, as "Russia could find significant benefits in fostering closer ties with South Korea over North Korea," particularly after the war in Ukraine.

In the following session, John Everard, a former British Ambassador to Pyongyang, suggested that China and Russia might oppose Korean unification.

Everard argued that China views North Korea as a "useful buffer" against a U.S. military presence near its borders and a "useful piece on the geopolitical chessboard." He further noted that unification could harm Russian interests, as the disappearance of North Korea would eliminate "an important source of munitions" and leave Moscow with "little influence on a reunited Korea."

Everard also warned that while many North Koreans favor unification, they may strongly resist being absorbed into South Korea.

North Korean citizens "are proud of their country and its traditions, and having it reduced to a second-class province of [South Korea] would cause great bitterness," the former British ambassador to North Korea said.

He also doubted that North Korea's leadership would support unification.

"The regime regards reunification of the kind that we are discussing here with horror," Everard said. "It would mean the end of the privileges and power of the leadership — they have not forgotten what happened to the East German elite after German reunification — possible physical danger and possible arraignment before international courts."

Ri Il-gyu, former counselor at the North Korean embassy in Cuba, center, and Hyun In-ae, director of the Korean Peninsula Future Women's Institute, left, attend as panelists at the Global Korea Forum in Lotte Hotel in central Seoul on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF UNIFICATION]

The forum also featured Ri Il-gyu, the latest high-ranking North Korean known to defect to the South. He is a former counselor at the North Korean embassy in Cuba and defected in November 2023.

Ri highlighted the growing instability within North Korea's elite and emphasized the need to win them over.

Explaining that many North Korean officials fear what might happen to them after unification, Ri said it was "essential to continuously remind officials that they have lived as slaves under the Kim family while also emphasizing that they can be the agents of change."

"Officials have grown disillusioned with Kim Jong-un's impulsiveness," Ri said. He added that "even a small mistake can lead to execution," pointing to the demotion or execution of figures like Ri Yong-ho and Jang Song-thaek. Ri further revealed that ordinary North Koreans have also lost faith in the regime.

Regarding North Korea's lack of response to South Korea's latest set of unification policies that center on expanding North Koreans' access to outside information, the "Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine," Ri suggested that Pyongyang has opted for complete silence as "the best choice," fearing that any engagement would inadvertently promote South Korea to the North Korean public.

The Global Korea Forum is one of the policies outlined in the Aug. 15 Doctrine, aimed at exploring ways to muster international support for the two Koreas' unification. The event, however, sparked controversy over its mostly male speaker lineup and lack of diversity, which surfaced after the British Ambassador to Korea withdrew from the forum. This prompted the ministry to quickly include six more female speakers.

Hyun In-ae, director of the Korean Peninsula Future Women's Institute, highlighted a growing focus on women's issues within the Kim Jong-un regime and argued that meaningful change in North Korea should begin with women.

Hyun, a North Korean defector herself, cited the significant expansion of last year's Fifth National Conference of Mothers as evidence, noting that participation increased from 3,000 to 10,000 people, reflecting the regime's shifting priorities.

"Women’s influence in North Korea has grown considerably, largely because they have taken on the primary responsibility of managing their households," Hyun explained. "While husbands are often mobilized for state work without compensation, women have shouldered the burden of providing for their families. This dynamic has become a deeply rooted custom over decades."

Hyun further noted that women have become the backbone of not just their families but also society and the state. She emphasized that South Korean initiatives to change the consciousness of North Korean residents must include raising awareness among women.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]