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| Noh Kyu-duk, center, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, poses with Sung Kim, left, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, and Takehiro Funakoshi, the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, prior to their talks in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap |
Washington offers conciliatory gesture again but with no enticement
By Kang Seung-woo
The United States once again extended an olive branch to North Korea, Monday, saying that it was ready to hold a meeting with the reclusive regime "anywhere, anytime" amid deadlocked nuclear talks between the two countries.
However, Washington did not offer anything to entice Pyongyang back to negotiations.
"Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with the DPRK," said Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, ahead of a three-way meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Noh Kyu-duk, and Takehiro Funakoshi, in Seoul. The DPRK refers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
"We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach and our offer to meet anywhere, anytime, without preconditions," he added.
Since the Joe Biden administration was inaugurated in January, the new White House has been trying to contact the Kim Jong-un regime to outline its new policy toward the country, but North Korea has been refusing to engage with it.
The U.S. envoy's visit to Seoul came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said last week, in his first message directed toward the Biden administration, that his country should be ready for both "dialogue" and "confrontation" with the U.S., stressing "stable control" of the Korean Peninsula situation.
"We took note of the recent statement by Pyongyang regarding their preparation for dialogue, and we hope to receive a positive response to our proposal for meeting soon," Kim said after a meeting with Noh, held ahead of the trilateral talks.
His message is the latest in the U.S. administration's efforts to make contact with North Korea.
With President Biden making it clear that he was open to diplomatic talks with North Korea, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in an ABC interview Sunday that the North Korean leader's remarks last week were an "interesting signal."
"We are awaiting a clear signal from Pyongyang as to whether they are prepared to sit down at the table to begin working in that direction," he said.
Noh said during talks with Sung Kim that Seoul will continue to play a "necessary" role for the early resumption of dialogue with Pyongyang through coordination with Washington.
"We wish to restore the structure where inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK relations reinforce each other in a mutually beneficial way," he said.
Funakoshi said following his meeting with Noh, "For us, Japan-Korea cooperation, as well as Japan-Korea-U.S. cooperation, is essential, as you said, for peace and stability in the region, especially in dealing with North Korea."
Against the backdrop of the U.S. repeating conciliatory messages, there was growing speculation that Washington may offer enticements, including sanctions relief that Pyongyang badly wants, in a bid to get the stalled denuclearization talks back on track.
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| Noh Kyu-duk, right, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, holds talks with Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, during their meeting at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap |
However, the U.S. side clarified its position that the economic punishment will continue.
"We will continue to implement our U.N. Security Council resolutions addressing the DPRK," Sung Kim said.
"We will also urge all U.N. member states, especially U.N. Security Council members, to do the same, to address the threat posed to the international community by the DPRK. From many years of experience working on the DPRK issue, I know close coordination is essential to achieving our shared goals."
His reference to Security Council members may be meant to point a finger at China, given that the U.S. has accused Beijing of violating its obligation to enforce international sanctions on the North.
"North Korea may return to negotiations only after demonstrating strength with a post-pandemic economic recovery and provocative military tests," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University.
"Beijing would not welcome any major military provocation by Pyongyang while China celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party in July. So North Korea may conduct its next missile test later this summer, when the U.S. and South Korea usually hold combined defense exercises."
Meanwhile, the U.S. envoy met with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong later in the day, during which Chung asked for U.S. assistance in advancing the Korean Peninsula peace process. The two agreed to continue close cooperation on bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table.
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| Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, center, poses with Sung Kim, left, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, and Jung Park, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, during their meeting at the minister's official residence in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
