| President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook wave after returning from their five-nation European tour at a military base in Seongnam, Sunday. Cheong Wa Dae assessed that Moon's visit to France, Italy, the Vatican, Belgium and Denmark helped raise issue about easing international sanctions on North Korea. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
BRUSSELS/COPENHAGEN ― President Moon Jae-in's efforts to persuade the EU and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to help North Korea get some relief from UNSC sanctions faces challenges following "differing thinking" between Moon and his European counterparts on the matter.
Moon wrapped up a nine-day trip to European capitals including Paris, Rome, Brussels, Copenhagen and the Vatican. He attended the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) held in Brussels and received a conditional yes from Pope Francis for his possible visit to North Korea. The President arrived in Seoul, Sunday (KST).
At summits with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May, the South Korean leader attempted to receive backing for his "sanctions-easing" agenda. The UNSC holds the key whether to accept a revision of economic sanctions currently imposed on the North once it receives a request for the revision.
But both Macron and May responded coolly as they didn't mention further appeasement that Seoul believes could additionally induce North Korea to announce more concrete plans to scrap its nuclear program. Seoul believes the move would provide additional encouragement inducing North Korea to announce more concrete plans to scrap its nuclear program.
France and U.K. are permanent members of the UNSC along with China, Russia and the United States. As the EU helped broker the nuclear deal with Iran before the Trump administration pulled out, Moon had hopes of winning support for his approach capitalizing on dialogue and greater engagement.
But South Korea failed to release an official statement following any of its summits, partly due to differences over North Korea, diplomatic sources, here, said.
Cheong Wa Dae said the European trip was "quite successful" in some degree. Chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said the presidential office appreciated the pope's given encouragement for President Moon's efforts toward denuclearization.
Other than the diplomatic backing, Seoul's push of providing sanctions relief also raises challenges as Washington appears at odds over the initiative, political analysts said.
Concerns are that easing restrictions on economic sanctions may undermine Washington's leverage in the ongoing denuclearization talks as the U.S. wants the "deal done" only after the North announces further steps.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a key man for the talks, earlier said he was hoping to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "soon" before the second summit between Trump and the North's Kim. But that second meeting is likely sometime "early next year," according to media reports.
Sometime within the fourth quarter of this year was the previous expectation.
Another senior Cheong Wa Dae official said the sanctions-easing pitch won't bring friction with Seoul's allies because it doesn't disrupt the momentum to press North Korea to dismantle its nuclear capabilities.
"The United States trusts South Korea as the goal is simple as you know. There are different views about how in terms of an assessment. Moon's sanctions-relief message is a plus because we are going together to achieve the one simple goal," the official from the presidential office told The Korea Times asking not to be identified.
President Moon helped to break an impasse between the United States and North Korea over denuclearization talks by persuading Kim Jong-un to apply some steps.
Moon's first mission ― bringing North Korea onto the diplomatic stage ― was done. Now, Moon's second mission is how to get more concessions from the international community to help the North get sanctions relief both from the UNSC and Washington by persuading Pyongyang to announce "something more."