Warm Wind from Seoul

Since 1971, the most significant contacts between North and South Korea have been through Red Cross teams. But last week, in a dramatic reversal of policy, South Korean President Chung Hee Park announced a large forward step. On nationwide TV and radio, he declared that "we shall not object to our admittance into the United Nations with North Korea"--an action he had previously sworn never to take. Park also said that he would open the doors to all nations, including socialist countries--possibly through trade contacts or even diplomatic recognition--if "those countries open their doors likewise to us."

Park's drive toward detente was remarkable but not altogether unexpected. With North Korea, like China, gaining recognition from more and more countries in recent months, Park had to face the fact that the North is no longer considered an untouchable. Not to be outdone, North Korean Premier Kim II Sung at week's end announced the creation of a "national congress" to work toward a peaceful reunification of the two countries. Park, however, is not yet ready to take the final plunge. The softening of relations, he said, "does not signify our recognition of the North as a state."

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