The need for cooperation with North Korea in the development of vocational abilities, its future direction, and the basic strategy required
While there are many factors that have been identified as capable of maximizing and invigorating the effectiveness of the recently stepped up North-South Korean economic cooperation, the efficient usage of the North Korean labor force in the special economic zones designated by the North Korean government, and the development of their vocational abilities have emerged as the most salient factors. As a result, the need to develop the vocational abilities of the North Korean workers in the special economic zones has increasingly been raised.
As such, this paper has prepared the following suggestions in relation to the direction cooperation with North Korea on the issue of the development of their vocational abilities should take, as well as on related tasks: First, any cooperative effort to develop the vocational abilities of North Korean workers should be carried out based on the concepts of peaceful co-existence, mutual benefit, and complementation in the short-term, and in the long-term to try to achieve the structural and qualitative development of North Korean human resources. Second, such cooperation should be brought about in a gradual manner without any political overtones. Third, cooperation should be based on a unification-oriented approach that respects the diversity of the two systems. Fourth, cooperation should be carried out through active coordination between the related departments. Fifth, this cooperation should obtain the support and participation of the North and South Korean governments. Sixth, this cooperation should be expanded to include the international community.
Any basic strategy aimed at bringing about cooperation between the two Koreas in developing the vocational abilities of North Korean workers should have the following attributes: First, in order to implement these projects, the South Korean government should assure itself of its Northern counterparts approval and support for the plan. Second, public enterprises, and related organizations should induce the North Korean government to participate in these cooperative projects by taking part in North-South joint investment and mutual investment ventures. Third, the government and NGOs should strive to have international organizations participate in these projects. Fourth, in order to concretize these cooperation projects, concerned government departments should secure the necessary financial resources, such as the North-South cooperation fund. In addition, while cooperating with North Korea in the development of the latters vocational abilities, the government, NGOs, and enterprises should establish various strategies to cope with changes in North-South relations, and to promote the effectiveness of the cooperation projects.
Tasks related to the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers
Tasks for the main actors
First, the government should establish measures to induce South Korean enterprises to enter the special economic zones in North Korea. Moreover, the Ministry of Unification should handle the main affairs related to exchanges and cooperation projects, while other departments should concentrate on introducing policies related to the development of vocational abilities.
Furthermore, local governments should be responsible for the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers in the special economic zones. Specialized administrative organizations, such as, the regional labor administration, labor offices, and educational offices, should focus their energies on the special economic zones. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, in order to properly support, and cooperate in the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers, the cooperation of the international community is required.
First, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) should take the lead role in implementing these cooperation projects.
Second, vocational education & training organizations can also participate in the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers. Currently, regular school programs (colleges, polytechnic colleges, corporate universities, industrial universities, regular universities, graduate schools, lifelong education programs), vocational training institutes, and vocational schools can be found in South Korea. On the other hand, North Korea has regular universities, industrial, agricultural, and maritime universities, as well as vocational technical schools that offer vocational education, and training organizations. In this regard, exchanges and cooperative ventures among these organizations should be invigorated. One way to do so would be to form sister school relationships between these schools.
Third, cooperation at the enterprise level should also be carried out. North-South economic cooperation will be unable to expand any further without the participation of, and positive suggestions from, the North Korean government. However, despite this reality, it is of crucial importance that those domestic enterprises that want to participate in North-South economic cooperation projects be provided with the necessary materials to develop their vocational abilities. By doing so, conflicts that might occur between the two Koreas because of unfamiliarity with each other will be avoided, and North-South economic cooperation will be further invigorated. As for the development of measures aimed at facilitating the selection of the necessary know-how and technologies, the North-South Korean economic cooperation committees that have already been organized within many associations might be best suited to tackle this task. By using the technologies collected through these North-South economic cooperation committees, enterprises wishing to participate in North-South Korean economic cooperation projects should be able to establish the vocational ability development programs required.
Fourth, international organizations should participate in these North-South economic cooperation projects. The participation of international organizations will make it easier to safeguard North Korean pride, which might be damaged if the two Koreas simply interact in a donor and recipient setting, and thus facilitate the continuation of these projects. Furthermore, this third party can intervene in the potential conflicts and frictions that may arise during the period in which the vocational education and training necessary to develop the human resources of North Korea is being provided.
Fifth, while religious organizations may also participate in these cooperative ventures, it is highly unlikely that they will play an important role in the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers in the special economic zones.
Sixth, NGOs should also actively participate in the development of the vocational abilities of North Korean workers.
Future tasks
First, at the material level, these future tasks are connected to the provision of support for the facilities and equipment in the special economic zones that might play a role in the development of vocational abilities. As such, when North-South cooperation has reached the level to make such a step possible, responsible managers should verify the present facilities and equipment of education & training organizations in North Korea, and whenever possible provide them with the necessary facilities and equipment. In this regard, from the standpoint of the academic and informational aspects of the special economic zones, there is a need to bring about the exchange of related textbooks and materials.
Second, the most urgent task in bringing about the development of vocational abilities is to achieve cooperation at the human resources level. Doing so will result in maximizing the effectiveness of the cooperation between the two Koreas.
Third, cooperation at the education & training program level is also of vital importance in developing the vocational abilities of North Korean workers. This is one level that can directly influence just how cooperative North Korea is willing to be.
Future tasks for industries
As the special economic zones in North Korea are in the initial stages of development, there still exist significant differences in the industrial facilities and human resources possessed by the two Koreas. Therefore, cooperation should focus on supporting and complementing these differences. If the principle of peaceful co-existence is adopted as the main mantra, the chances of successfully achieving this goal will increase exponentially.
First, it is necessary to invigorate cooperation in order to develop vocational abilities in the light industries.
Second, as the development of vocational abilities in the heavy industries is directly related to military development, it is difficult to bring about cooperation in this field. Nevertheless, whenever possible it exchange and cooperative ventures should be implemented.
Third, cooperation in the high-tech industries should be gradually carried out.
Fourth, it is also important to cooperate in the tourism industry.
Lastly, cooperation in the above-mentioned industries may be jeopardized if one side refuses to compromise. Therefore, industries should keep this situation in mind when selecting cooperative projects.