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| U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton |
Some analysts say Bolton's longtime hawkish stance against North Korea will likely pose a political burden amid the ongoing inter-Korean reconciliation.
On his two-day trip from Sunday, Bolton will meet with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong to discuss the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Japanese National Security Adviser Shotaro Yachi also reportedly plans to join the meeting. The trilateral meeting is expected to take place in the nation's southern port city of Busan.
Seoul and Washington did not confirm details on Bolton's Busan visit, but expectations are that Bolton will engage in talks with the South on the agenda for the Kim-Trump summit next week.
It has not been confirmed whether President Moon Jae-in will meet Bolton.
"His visit to South Korea is aimed primarily at discussing partnerships in security policies surrounding the North's denuclearization," Shin Beom-chul, senior director of the research division at Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said Friday.
With the second historic Trump-Kim summit around the corner, Bolton is also likely to share the U.S.' up-to-date negotiating strategies over the ongoing denuclearization talks with the North, according to the expert.
"Bolton's visit may come as a burden to the South Korean government in reflection of the ongoing inter-Korean peace, but he is unlikely to press the South to carry out any policies against the peace momentum on the peninsula," Shin said.
Expectations are that he will also underline the need for the U.S. to maintain sanctions on the regime, as part of the most effective strategy to keep pressing the North for its denuclearization, according to the researcher.
This does not fall in line with the South Korean government's stance, under which President Moon Jae-in hopes to resume joint inter-Korean economic projects.
On Tuesday evening, President Moon expressed his willingness to lessen Washington's financial burden by reconnecting inter-Korean railways and carrying out joint economic projects, which can be one of the U.S.' corresponding measures in exchange for the North's nuclear disarmament, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
President Moon offered the gesture at a time when Washington and Pyongyang have in recent months failed to narrow their differences in their denuclearization talks following the first U.S.-North Korea summit last June.
Trump and Kim will meet next week to move forward the halted dialogue momentum and sign a possible big deal to denuclearize the peninsula.
