Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the Democratic United Party demanded the conservatives stop distorting the party’s stance on the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea in an attempt to affect the outcome of the presidential election.

Baek, a former four-star Army general, says that the NLL is clearly defined as a “line of non-aggression” and that the Saenuri Party’s referring to it as a territorial demarcation is misleading.

“The documented agreement between the South and the North clearly states that it (the NLL) is a maritime non-aggression line,” Baek said.

“It’s like the demilitarized zone. People refer to it as the ceasefire line. Nobody says it is a territorial demarcation. Referring to it (NLL) as a territorial line could generate confusion as it sounds as though only the areas south of the line are our (South Korea) territory.”

Article 3 of South Korea’s constitution defines the country’s territory as “the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands,” including areas controlled by North Korea.

Baek added that the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations have both stood by the NLL as “a line that must be protected” citing the first and second Battle of Yeonpyeong.

“Strong security and peace are like the two sides of a coin. What we want is national security, and at the same time to avoid conflict to maintain the peace,” he said.

Regarding the proposed plans to establish a South-North joint fishing zone in the concerned area, Baek said that it will serve three purposes.

“First, it will mean that the North is recognizing the NLL. Secondly, it will allow South and North Korean fishermen to generate income,” Baek said. Under the plans, the zone will be established according to the principle of “equal distance, equal area” in relation to the NLL.

“Third, it will serve the function of the demilitarized zone. For example, (the North) can’t open fire when South and North Korean boats are all mixed together. It will act as a buffer.”

Concerning Saenuri Party’s calls to disclose the contents of the minutes of the 2007 inter-Korean summit, Baek said that the matter must be approached from the perspective of national interests, and that present circumstances in the West Sea disprove Rep. Chung Moon-hun’s claims.

“The results are obviously visible. If matters developed according to the allegations, the NLL should have been abolished, but it continues to exist.”

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)