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| President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, second from left, poses with Sung Kim, third from left, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Vice National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk, left, and Rep. Cho Tae-yong during their meeting at Chung's residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential transition committee |
President-elect shows strong determination to coordinate with US on North Korea policy
By Kang Seung-woo
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol had an unscheduled meeting with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Tuesday, and expressed his strong determination to coordinate with the United States on North Korea's mounting threats, according to his transition team, Wednesday.
Yoon had dinner with the American envoy at the residence of Vice National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk in Seoul, according to the transition committee. Chung, a longtime friend of Kim, arranged the gathering that lasted more than two hours. Rep. Cho Tae-yong of the main opposition People Power Party and former Vice Foreign Minister also accompanied them.
Kim is visiting Seoul on a five-day trip, which is packed with a flurry of meetings with the foreign and unification ministers of the outgoing Moon Jae-in administration as well as officials of Yoon's transition committee and Cabinet-minister nominees handling diplomatic and North Korea issues.
When Kim's trip was announced last week, attention was on whether he would meet with Yoon here since the incoming president vowed to engage in diplomacy that places alignment with the U.S. at the center of its foreign policy priorities.
However, due to Kim's official status ― equivalent to the deputy foreign minister ― he had not been expected to meet Yoon in person. But it was Yoon's "pragmatic diplomacy" that brought them together.
"Those who were present concurred on the need that relations between South Korea and the U.S. should improve steadfastly," an official of the transition team said.
Their "unofficial" meeting came after North Korea carried out 13 missile tests so far this year, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Washington has set as an unofficial "red line" against the North's saber rattling.
Yoon, who will be inaugurated into office, May 10, is likely to sit down with U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly on May 21, ahead of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit in Tokyo slated for May 24.
However, the meeting among the four was unofficial and they apparently did not talk about the envisaged summit.
On Thursday, Kim plans to continue his meetings with future members of Yoon's Cabinet ― Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se and Kim Sung-han, highly anticipated to become the national security director.
While local media was focusing on the diplomatic implications of the Yoon-Kim meeting, the transition committee wanted to discourage speculation and described the event as just a private gathering.
"The dinner between Yoon and Kim was a simple meeting, privately arranged by Chung, so it did not carry a diplomatic significance," Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin said.
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| Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin, right, shakes hands with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea during their meeting at Park's office in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Park's office |
According to Park's office, the four-term lawmaker stressed the need to work together to effectively deal with North Korea's possible provocations, including a nuclear test, that pose a major threat to the international community as well as South Korea.
Citing the envisaged South Korea-U.S. summit, Park also said the allies should maintain close communication and cooperation on North Korea policy.
In response, Kim emphasized the Biden administration's high expectations for close coordination with the Yoon government to pursue North Korea policy, adding that the U.S. will deal with the grave situation on the Korean Peninsula based on their bilateral cooperation.
