This year marks the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China. On Friday, the two countries’ foreign ministers met in Seoul and agreed to celebrate the anniversary by holding a total of 45 events under the catchword of “good comradeship, happy partnership.”

Yet the slogan sounds empty in light of the lack of cooperation between the two neighbors in handling issues involving North Korea. The latest case in point concerns North Korean defectors in China. Tensions have been rising lately between the two countries as Beijing turns a deaf ear to Seoul’s request not to repatriate the 30 or so North Korean defectors rounded up recently.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Seoul to sort out the discord but his meetings with President Lee Myung-bak and his Korean counterpart, Kim Sung-hwan, failed to bridge the differences between the two sides.

During his meeting with Yang, Lee stressed that Beijing should treat North Korean defectors in accordance with international rules because they are not criminals. He urged China’s cooperation to resolve the problem.

Yang was quoted as replying that he would heed Seoul’s concerns and relate them to Chinese President Hu Jintao.

In his talks with Yang earlier in the day, Kim also called for humanitarian treatment of the arrested North Koreans. He asked Yang to give special consideration to minors and those who have relatives in South Korea. He also urged the Chinese minister to allow at least those in a desperate situation to travel to the South.

Yang sidestepped Kim’s requests, reiterating China’s official stance ― Beijing would deal with the problem in compliance with domestic and international laws and based on humanitarian principles.

Yang also expressed displeasure at Seoul’s recent attempt to bring international pressure on Beijing, saying that China did not want to see the matter internationalized or politicized.

As expected, the foreign ministers’ meeting failed to break any new ground on the defector issue. Yet the meeting was meaningful in that it was the first time top diplomats of the two countries officially discussed the knotty problem.

The meeting reflected Seoul’s new approach to the defector question. Previously, it had sought to resolve the matter through closed-door bilateral meetings with Beijing. But it recently shifted to a more open and high-key approach. One reason for the change was the increasing difficulty in getting China’s cooperation on the issue.

Hence the government broached the defector problem at a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Feb. 27, urging the international community to protect refugees in compliance with the existing U.N. conventions. It was another first for Seoul.

Furthermore, Kim is scheduled to visit the United Nations on March 7 to ask Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to spearhead a more active U.N. involvement in resolving the quandary.

In the face of China’s reluctance to cooperate, Seoul is compelled to pursue international support for its case. It needs to secure understanding and backing from its allies, especially the United States.

In this respect, it is encouraging to see interest in North Korean defectors growing among U.S. officials and politicians.

On March 5, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, an independent agency of the U.S. government that monitors human rights developments there, will hold a public hearing over China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors. The hearing is an indication that U.S. officials and politicians are beginning to take the issue seriously.

In South Korea, protests against China’s inhumane policy toward North Korean defectors are growing. Rep. Park Sun-young of the conservative Liberty Forward Party played a role in sensitizing politicians to the issue. On the day the Chinese minister came to Seoul, she passed out in front the Chinese Embassy in Seoul after nine days on hunger strike.

While ratcheting up pressure on China, the Seoul government needs to continue bilateral talks with Beijing. At their Seoul meeting, the two ministers shared the view that the two countries should not be hamstrung by the defector issue in enhancing their partnership. Based on this understanding, they should exert efforts to reach a consensus on the problem before Hu Jintao visits Seoul in April to attend the Nuclear Security Summit.