제2차 남북정상회담의 평가와 전망

2007년 10월 2-4일에 걸쳐 개최된 ‘2007 남북정상회담에서 노무현 대통령과 김정일 북한 국방위원장은 ①평화정착 ②공동번영 ③화해통일에 관한 제반 현안에 대해 협의하였고, 「남북관계 발전과 평화번영을 위한 선언」(이하, 2007 남북정상선언)을 발표(10.4)하였다. 2007 남북정상선언을 통해 남북 정상 간에는 서해북방한계선(NLL) 공동어로수역 설정부터 금강산면회소에서의 이산가족 영상 편지 교환에 이르기까지 단번에 여러 가지 합의사안이 발표되었으며, 가장 주목할 만한 것 중 하나는 서해평화협력특별지대 설치와 남북경제협력사업의 대대적인 확대, 개성공단 2단계 개발 착수, 남북조선협력단지를 건설하겠다는 계획들이 포함되었다. 향후 2007 남북정상선언 합의가 정부의 의도한 바와 같이 북핵문제 해결에 선순환적인 효과를 내면서 합의대로 잘 추진된다면 2007 남북정상회담은 남북간 교류협력을 확대하는 새로운 계기를 마련할 것이다. 그러나 2007 남북정상선언의 내용이 평화와 번영에 대한 원론에 치중했고, 구체적인 이행에 대해서는 추가적인 협의와 합의를 거치도록 선언했다는 점에서 추후에도 줄곧 전개될 북핵 및 북미관계 등에 의해 발목이 잡힐 가능성을 배제할 수 없다. 결국, 2007 남북정상선언은 남북간 교류협력을 확대하는 새로운 계기를 마련했음에도 불구하고 ‘상징적 평화’라는 한계를 안고 있다고 평가할 수 있을 것이다.

The 2007 South-North Korean summit, between President Roh Moo-hyun and Chairman Kim Jong-il was held in Pyongyang during October 2-4, 2007. In the eight-point “Declaration for Advancing Inter-Korean Relations and Peace and Prosperity”, signed by the two leaders at the end of a three-day summit, the two sides agreed to end military hostility and significantly expand inter-Korean cooperation in politics, the economy, denuclearization and other pending issues. Economic cooperation between the two Koreas was at the top of the summit agenda. Most notably, the two leaders agreed to establish a “special area for peace and cooperation in West Sea” covering the Haeju area, near the inter-Korean border, and waters off its surrounding areas and construct an inter-Korean joint shipbuilding complex in Nampo, near Pyongyang. The special West Sea area, for instance, will be designed to push forward undertakings, including the creation of a joint fishing zone, construction of special economic zone, economic use of Haeju Port, direct passage of civilian vessels through the sea in front of Haeju, and joint utilization of the mouth of the Han River. Regarding the political and security issues, South and North Korea agreed to end the current armistice in order to establish permanent peace regime and to push for a declaration of the ending of the Korean War in cooperation with neighboring nations. South and North Korea also agreed to make joint efforts for the smooth implementation of the Sept. 19 and Feb. 13 six-nation nuclear agreements. With the 2007 South-North Korean summit declaration, which supports international talks on North Korea's denuclearization, makes great efforts to expand economic cooperation between two Koreas and aims to establish a peace regime replacing the fragile armistice, we would find ourselves in a peaceful and prosperous environment in the near future. However, in spite of a number of landmark accords calling for drastically expanding cross-border investments and joint industrial projects, there is a limit to what the two leaders can do for a bilateral agreement on the security issues such as North Korea's nuclear problem and the peace regime on the Korean peninsula. Because theese security issues require, according to the agreement, another additional agreements by concerning parties, especially surrounding powers including the United States and China. In sum, while the agreement contains clear economical benefits for the North, the South's economical and military interests resulted from the South Korean investment are so vague. Even in the field of South Korean private investment to the North, the key is to not simply transfer wealth that props up the regime, but rather to find ways to empower North Koreans as workers and to encourage real economic reform.