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Blue House Spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum
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Spokesperson announces that timing depends largely on 2nd N. Korea-US summit
The Blue House said on Nov. 26 that the timing of a reciprocal visit to Seoul by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “requires consideration and judgment as to whether it should come before or after a second North Korea-US summit.” With the second North Korea-US summit expected to take place early next year, the message appeared to suggest that Kim’s visit could be postponed until 2019. Speaking at a briefing that day, Blue House Spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum said, “We are currently considering various possibilities in discussing a reciprocal visit by Chairman Kim within the year.” “It’s a matter that requires different considerations and judgments as to whether it should come before or after a second North Korea-US summit, and which of those would be more effective in bringing peace and prosperity for the Korean Peninsula,” he said. To date, the Blue House has indicated that it views Kim’s visit as happening within 2018 and has been making preparations accordingly. In their Pyongyang Joint Declaration on Sept. 19, the South and North Korean leaders agreed to Kim “visit[ing] Seoul at an early date at the invitation of President Moon Jae-in.” At the time, President Moon Jae-in predicted the date of the visit as falling “within the year, barring special circumstances.” Initially, the Blue House adopted the position that it would be best for Kim’s visit to follow a second North Korea-US summit. The anticipation was that the results of the North Korea-US summit could serve as a basis for reaching a more substantive agreement at the inter-Korean summit in terms of lifting sanctions against the North and expanding economic cooperation. But the “best-case scenario” has had to be modified with the US mentioning the possibility of the North Korea-US summit taking place “early next year.” The Blue House is now reportedly weighing whether it would be better to push for Kim to visit this year as a pump-priming measure for currently deadlocked North Korea-US dialogue, or to push the visit back into 2019 in order to produce more substantive results and agreements with the North after the North Korea-US summit. Kim Eui-kyum said the Blue House “looks forward” to high-level North Korea-US talks “happening as soon as possible.” On the matter of a declaration ending the Korean War, Kim said, “That is not something that our government can decide alone or that can be decided between South and North.” “It’s time that the three parties of South and North Korea and the US must all agree on, and we are still in discussions toward the final goal,” he continued. By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
