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South Korea Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon (left) and Lee Joo-tae, Director General of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Bureau, engage in discussion at the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Sept. 13. (Kim Gyoung-ho, staff photographer)
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Unification Minister calls for end-of-year meeting between Pyongyang and Washington
Inter-Korean discussions on the schedule for a reciprocal visit to Seoul by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are “not concluded but ongoing,” a South Korean high-ranking official said. Meeting with reporters on the evening of Dec. 18, the official stressed, “North Korea has consistently confirmed that it fully intends to honor [Kim’s] promise to visit Seoul, which is included in the Pyongyang Joint Declaration from September and was communicated verbally [by Kim] to President Moon Jae-in.” In connection with the schedule for Kim’s visit, the official said Pyongyang is “still communicating that it will be in the near future, and within the year barring anything special.” Conflicting with the Blue House’s claims that a Seoul visit by Kim before the end of the year is “essentially out of the question,” the message signaled that the possibility of Kim visiting as soon as before the end of 2018 is not completely dead. The official also offered predictions about the New Year’s address to come from Kim on Jan. 1. “We’re anticipating a New Year’s address that talks about continuing denuclearization negotiations [with the US] and maintaining inter-Korean relations in their current state,” the official said. “With that as the North’s aim, it is also likely to include a message asking the international community to adopt corresponding measures in response to these efforts,” the official added. At the same time, the official said there was “no possibility” of the South and North Korean leaders attending a scheduled groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 26 for an inter-Korean railway and road linkage and modernization effort. Meanwhile, Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon called for proactive negotiations from Pyongyang and Washington in an end-of-year meeting with reporters on the afternoon of Dec. 18. “Whether or not North Korea-US denuclearization talks get back on track by February to March of next year will be a factor with a major influence on how the Korean Peninsula situation progresses through 2020,” he said. A high-ranking government official explained, “The situation could become more difficult if North Korea and the US are not able to reach the stage of sharing their specific demands with each other and discussing a timetable before February to March of next year, when the new Congress starts in the US and begins full-scale efforts [to curb the Donald Trump administration].” “There is still a large difference in views and a lack of trust between North Korea and the US, but they also understand each other more in some ways after their research and deliberation,” the official added. “They’re gradually bridging [their differences],” the official said. By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
