Lessons the Korean Peninsula Could Learn from Cyprus

*The “Green Line” demilitarized zone of Cyprus, as installed in Nicosia(the capital of Cyprus) ⓒiStock

 

Il Young Jeong

Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University

Cyprus, well known as the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite (Venus) in Greek and Roman mythology, is an island country in the east of the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus has a population of 1.22 million in an area 1/10th the size of Korea (9,251㎢). When the country gained independence from Britain in 1960, Greek residents made up 78% of the country’s population while Turkish residents counted for another 18%.

In this article, I will present three valuable lessons we can learn from divided Cyprus and the implications from the Cyprus case for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula.

 

Cyprus and the Korean Peninsula: The Same, but Different

Much like the Korean Peninsula, Cyprus is divided into north and south. In 1974, Greek Cypriots (who constitute a majority of the population) attempted to integrate with Greece through a coup d’état. In response, the country of Turkey invaded in the name of protecting Turkish residents of the island and continues to occupy Cyprus to this day.

In the end, Cyprus was divided into the Republic of Cyprus for Cypriots of Greek descent and the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus for Turkish Cypriots (henceforth to be referred to as South and North Cyprus, respectively). South Cyprus effectively controls about 60 percent of the island, with Northern Cyprus accounting for the other 35 percent and British naval bases making up the remaining 3 percent.

Currently, South Cyprus is recognized by the United Nations and the international community as the only legitimate government of Cyprus and even became a member of the European Union (EU) in 2004. On the other hand, Turkey is the only member of the international community that recognizes North Cyprus as a country and legitimate government. South Korea established diplomatic relations with South Cyprus in 1995.

Like the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula, Cyprus has a border area about 184 kilometers long known as the "Green Line." The territory inside the Green Line (approx. 346㎢) is controlled by U.N. peacekeeping forces (United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 355).

 

Guaranteeing Mutual Freedom of Movement

The constitution of South Cyprus defines the North Cyprus region as part of its territory and allows free passage between the two areas. This promise of free movement between the two sides became a reality when North Cyprus opened the dividing line in 2003. Since South Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, movement and trade between South and North Cyprus have been in accordance with The Green Line Regulation, which is based on the European Union Act. The "Green Line Regulation" allows for free movement after certain inspections, and tariffs are not imposed on inter-Cyprus trade in deference to the special relationship between North and South Cyprus.

Currently, there are nine channels connecting South and North Cyprus. Residents on both sides can freely walk across these channels or travel by car upon presenting their ID cards and submitting to certain inspections. Foreigners can also visit both sides by presenting their passports without needing separate visas for the two sides. Police are in charge of cross-border operations between the two sides, not U.N. peacekeepers or either side’s military.

Until the inter-Korean cypress, which experienced the war, allowed free movement and trade, a number of problems have been raised and boring discussions have continued. Yet, ultimately, the two sides did solve this problem.

Considering the thoroughly locked-down nature of the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula, this sort of cross-border exchange seems almost fantastical. Above all, the fact that South Cyprus actively allowed free movement is worth noting with regards to movement and between the two sides of the Korean Peninsula. If South Korea first opens the door to free movement and trade and pushes for North Korea to respond in kind, couldn’t that fantasy someday become a reality?

 

The role of the United Nations as seen through the Cyprus ‘Green Line’

Cyprus's buffer zone between the north and south, also known as the "Green Line," is managed by a United Nations peacekeeping force. U.N. peacekeepers were originally dispatched in 1964, prior to Turkey’s invasion, to prevent bloodshed between Greek and Turkish residents (United Nations Security Council Resolution No.186).

During the ceasefire in August 1974, the United Nations created the green line spanning the north-south divide and UN peacekeeping forces took control of the newly created buffer zone. No military force besides the UN peacekeeping force may enter or occupy the Green Line demilitarized zone. As of 2019, about 880 peacekeepers are currently monitoring the area.

The U.N. peacekeeping force endeavors to prevent any clashes between the two sides to maintain the existing ceasefire and support a "return to normal." What we as Koreans need to pay close attention to is the role of UN peacekeeping forces in a "return to normal." The U.N. peacekeeping force is playing an important role in making it possible for the inter-Cyprus buffer zone to return to normal conditions.

To this end, the UN peacekeeping force supports approved civilian activities such as agriculture. They are also in charge of maintaining the peace in the four villages located inside the Green Line, particularly the village of Pyla where Greek and Turkish residents live together. The UN peacekeeping force also supports various gatherings at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the U.N. buffer zone with the aim of promoting trust between the residents of both sides.

In Cyprus, the UN peacekeeping force goes beyond its role as a “peacekeeper” and acts as a “peace-maker.” Of course, the United Nations Command, which was created under the armistice agreement on the Korean Peninsula, and the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus have substantial differences in their nature, status, and roles. But now, 70 years after the armistice agreement was signed on the Korean Peninsula, the United Nations needs to actively support inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation in order to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

 

Continuous Unification Negotiations through Third Parties

Since the division, the two Cyprus states have been consistently conducting unification negotiations. Unification negotiations were primarily led by the U.N. Secretary-General, and both sides have patiently cooperated in the negotiations.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's mediation efforts, which began in the late 1990s, are particularly noteworthy. Unification negotiations under Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s mediation began with the Annan Plan I in November 2002 and carried on through Annan Plan II that December, Annan Plan III in February 2003, and Plans IV and V in March 2004. These unification negotiations played a leading role in the discussion of unification in Cyprus. The final plan was approved by 64.9% in Northern Cyprus but was rejected by 75.8% of South Cyprus residents. However, the UN Secretary-General's role as mediator in the unification negotiations continued after the failed referendum.

At the 2017 unification negotiations in Switzerland (2017.6.28-7.7), Cyprus, three guarantor countries (Greece, Turkey, Britain), the UN, and the EU participated in a compromise on almost all issues, including withdrawal of occupation forces, changes to the security system, proposals for centralized (federal) operation, and return of territory. However, negotiations ultimately broke down as some parties withdrew from the agreement due to domestic political considerations.

However, even after the failure of the Swiss agreement, in October 2020, the two sides held discussions on resuming negotiations with mediation from the UN Secretary-General. In April 2021, the two sides held an informal 5+1 meeting (North and South Cyprus and the three guarantor countries +the UN) in Geneva, and unification negotiations have continued since.

I will briefly summarize the current unification plan of both sides at present. South Cyprus and Greece are pushing for the 'two regions-two communities' federation plan outlined in the UN Security Council resolution. However, North Cyprus and Turkey claim that the federation plan failed in the 2017 negotiations and instead advocate a proposal for a federation of nations.

Cyprus's unification negotiations have great implications in that a third party, the UN Secretary-General, successfully brought Cyprus and other related countries (Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) to the negotiating table for meaningful discussion. In the Korean case, it is clear that the two Koreas are the main agents for unification on the peninsula. However, in a situation where there are still significant differences in the two Koreas’ approaches to unification, it is also necessary to discuss how to reliably continue unification negotiations through a third party such as the United Nations.

The Cyprus case raises many ideas about prospects for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula. The Cyprus case offers three key areas for study: the importance of actively ‘opening’ our door to unrestricted, mutual travel between the two countries, the role UN peacekeeping forces can play in moving towards peace, and what real, consistent dialogue between two sides can look like.

For those interested in learning more about the division of Cyprus, efforts to create peace, and the unification negotiations, I strongly recommend Dr. Han Myeong-seob’s Division of Cyprus and Reunification Plan(The Division of Cyprus and Reunification Plan,(2020), in Korean)

 

*IL-Young Jeong is a research professor at Sogang University in Seoul. His key research interests include North Korea's social control system, inter-Korean relations, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

*This article is a column published in OhmyNews. https://omn.kr/1zuc2