Seoul: Jared Diamond, a renowned U.S. scholar, suggested Thursday that South Korea refrain from publicly "bad-mouthing" North Korea if it wants to achieve peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang. Diamond, author of the best-selling "Guns, Germs and Steel," made these remarks during a forum in Seoul, drawing parallels to Finland's diplomatic approach with Russia.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Diamond highlighted Finland's long-standing strategy of avoiding public criticism of Russia, a tactic which has helped maintain peace between the two nations for over 80 years. He emphasized that South Korea must make its own decision regarding its relationship with North Korea, suggesting that avoiding public criticism could be key to peaceful relations.

Diamond elaborated on Finland's decision, noting that as a democratic nation, Finland made the difficult choice to ask its press not to criticize Russia, prioritizing national security and peace. He referred to Russia's invasion of Finland in 1939 as a pivotal moment that necessitated this approach.

During his keynote speech, Diamond recommended that South Korea engage in private discussions with North Korea to address shared challenges. He identified areas such as climate change, agriculture, aquaculture, and invasive species as potential topics for collaboration. Diamond suggested that these discussions should initially occur without public announcements to build trust and mutual usefulness between the two countries.