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While the South Korean president Lee Jae-Myung begins his mandate of dialogue and economic cooperation with Pyongyang, North Korean-at home and abroad-reacts with a mixture of hope, indifference and in-depth skepticism.
According to sources within North Korea, the outcome of the 21st presidential election of South Korea quickly spread among the population after Lee's victory on Tuesday. The North Korean authorities confirmed Lee's victory via the state media the next day, offering only a brief report without comments.
In interviews with the Korean FBM service, several North Korean citizens have expressed disillusionment towards previous efforts of inter-forest awareness and remained doubtful that the new leadership in Seoul leads to any material change in their daily lives.
“People remember that former South Korean presidents like Kim Dae-Jung and Moon Jae-in were friendly towards the North,” said a resident of the province of North Hamgyong who asked for anonymity for security reasons. “But their policies have done nothing to improve the living standards of ordinary North Koreans. So there is a lot of cynicism now. ”
The source added that although the interest indicated by Lee in inter -corren dialogue has aroused some initial attention, many in the North believe that hostility between the two governments – always technically at war – will limit any real progress.
Another source from the northern province of Pyongan has echoed the feeling. “It doesn't matter who becomes the president of the South, it's still the same thing,” said the resident. “They talk about peace and unification, but nothing ever really changes to us.”
North Korean traders are optimistic
However, some officials from the North Korea foreign sector seemed more optimistic.
In Dalian and Shenyang, two Chinese cities where many North Korean sales officials are based, the news of the election of Lee met with the hope kept. A sales manager of Dalian told RFA that he had closely followed the South Korean media coverage throughout the elections and that he was “happy” to see Lee, a candidate of the Democratic Party, Win.
“Some of us gathered this morning at the Logistics Center in Dandong,” he said. “People said that Lee's victory could be a good sign for intercreen economic cooperation.”
Restaurant operators and businessmen in China, many of whom depend on the South Korean customers, also praised the news. “When inter-corrense tensions increase, we see a steep drop in South Korean customers,” a North Korean restaurant owner in Shenyang said. “Thus, a president like Lee, who could relaunch cross -border links, gives us hope for better deals.”
Due to government measures, North Korean restaurants abroad have not accepted South Korean customers since 2023. However, during periods of improvement in inter-corrense relations, the South Koreans were authorized to visit and were a major revenue source for these establishments.
North treats the South as a “hostile separate state”
The observers note that the predecessor of Lee, Yoon Suk Yeol, took a hard position on North Korea, which contributed to a prolonged frost in the intercreal exchanges. Lee, on the other hand, underlined diplomacy and commitment to his inaugural speech.
“Although we respond firmly to provocations, we will keep the communication channels open with the North,” said Lee during his sworn ceremony in the National Assembly on Wednesday. “Thanks to dialogue and cooperation, we aim to strengthen peace on the Korean peninsula.”
Despite these words, some North Koreans are not convinced. “Unless intercreen relations lead to tangible advantages for people's lives, there will be little enthusiasm here,” said the source of the province of North Hamgyong. “Right now, most people are not seeing much to hope.”
Unlike previous elections, North Korea has not commented on this campaign much and the result.
During the previous elections, in particular those which cause conservative victories, the media of North Korea praised the result with hostile comments. This time, they simply pointed out Lee's victory without framing or ideological critic.
Analysts claim that this deduction is aligned with the current doctrine of Pyongyang for treatment of South Korea as a “hostile separate state”, a position has been strengthened since the end of 2023.
Former American diplomat Evans Revere told RFA that this reflects an official change in policy of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea, or the RPDC, as the North is officially known.
“It is now officially the policy of the management of the RPDC and the ruling party not only to cut all communication with the South, but also to abandon the very idea of reunification and reconciliation,” said Revere.
“There are no more links, no contacts, no communications-there is nothing in common between the two parties,” he said.
Victor Cha, former head of the White House and President of Korea of the reflection group on the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, noted that the administration of Lee is still rooted in the progressive belief that the engagement and inter -corneal reconciliation are essential.
“I think he will continue to assert this point and move forward with that,” said Cha during a CSI event, but it was skeptical that it would work, adding: “The North Koreans do not seem interested in engaging.”
Translation and additional reports by Jaewoo Park. Edited by Sungwon Yang