A new year has dawned. This usually brings us excitement and anticipation as we busy ourselves making plans for the year ahead, but 2020 has so far been overshadowed somewhat by trepidation regarding the Corona Virus outbreak. Particularly here in South Korea, so close and interlinked with China and with over twenty confirmed cases to date, the country is mobilizing in a bid to head off the further spreading of the virus. Thus far there are no known cases of the virus in North Korea, but as a South Korean NGO providing humanitarian assistance and engaging in development cooperation projects in the DPRK, KSM are monitoring the situation closely. We hope that the outbreak is curtailed quickly and that the people of China and east Asia as a whole can return to their everyday lives as soon as possible.
KSM was founded in 1996. Originally launched as a humanitarian assistance organization, KSM has extended its activities to include development cooperation projects and more recently has widened its focus to also encompass peacebuilding on the Korean peninsula.
It is customary for KSM to kick off each year with a discussion forum analysing North Korea’s January 1st new year address. Despite the north foregoing the usual new year address KSM hosted a discussion forum on the “5th plenary meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.” It remains too early to predict accurately whether there will be major changes in the DPRK’s global or South Korea relations this year. Nevertheless as one of the leading voices of South Korean civil society, KSM will make efforts to effect some form of meaningful change in South North relations and in international society this year.
This year KSM of course intends to push for an improvement in South North relations through direct contact with the north but also to contribute more to the debate regarding peace on the Korean peninsula. 2020 marks seventy years since full fledged war broke out on the Korean peninsula. The wounds inflicted on the Korean peninsula are yet to heal despite the passing of time. The year 2020 also marks twenty years since the first inter-Korean summit back in 2000. This year we will continue to ask questions and search for answers about the road from conflict and confrontation towards peace and reconciliation. We will continue to question and reflect on these matters because as long as humanitarian assistance and development cooperation do not embrace and consider peacebuilding factors in planning and implementation the results of cooperation can not become sustainable.
At KSM we understand that our efforts to build peace on the Korean peninsula cannot be confined to this peninsula. We must walk hand in hand with, and engage with, actors in other parts of the world. To this end KSM will pursue various projects in solidarity with international society throughout 2020. We ask you to stand with us in these endeavors and to participate when, where and in whatever manner you can.
※ KSM plan to release our Peace & Sharing newsletter at least once every three months this year.
