US and South Korean Diplomatic Authorities on Alert Over Status Changes Amid Kim Yo-jong's Statement

Attention on Contact Between South Korea-US Working-Level Talks and North Korea's Chief Nuclear Envoy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] South Korean and U.S. diplomatic authorities are closely monitoring the rapid change in status of Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Recently, there was a South Korea-U.S. working-level consultation on this matter, and soon the South Korea-U.S. chief nuclear envoys are expected to exchange views on changes surrounding the Korean Peninsula issues.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 8th, as changes are being detected in the situation on the Korean Peninsula following Kim Yo-jong's statement, Lee Do-hoon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and chief nuclear envoy, is expected to soon exchange opinions with Stephen Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, regarding the 'Kim Yo-jong statement.'

Mark Naper, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan, also said at a Korea-related online seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the 4th (local time), "The United States is having good conversations on various issues including the approach to North Korea at all levels," adding, "Deputy Secretary Biegun and Director Lee are discussing this, and the dialogue will continue."

Following Kim Yo-jong's 'statement' on the 4th, in which she expressed strong displeasure over the recent leaflet distribution by defectors and hinted at the possibility of terminating inter-Korean military consultations, South Korea and the U.S. held working-level meetings at the director and division chief levels. It is reported that both sides agreed on the need to closely monitor changes within North Korea. In particular, both South Korea and the U.S. agreed that Kim Yo-jong's change in status should not be taken lightly.

A diplomatic source explained, "Both South Korea and the United States are closely consulting on North Korea issues recently," and "They are paying close attention to Kim Yo-jong's statement and related matters." Earlier, a spokesperson for the United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea said on the 5th, the day after Kim Yo-jong's statement, that she "oversees inter-Korean affairs" and "gave instructions to begin reviewing practical measures to implement the points raised in her statement regarding inter-Korean affairs."

Previously, Director Lee is known to have met consecutively with Andrey Kulik, Russian Ambassador to South Korea, and Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, since the end of last month to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula. This marked the resumption of face-to-face consultations that had been restrained due to the spread of COVID-19. However, it is expected that it will take considerable time before discussions between the South Korea-U.S. chief nuclear envoys become more concrete and public. Especially, unless former U.S. President Donald Trump's involvement in the North Korea nuclear issue resumes, it is analyzed that it will be difficult to open a trilateral dialogue involving Lee Do-hoon, Stephen Biegun, and Choe Son-hui (First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea).

Professor Jung Dae-jin of Ajou University explained, "Although informal exchanges of views between Director Lee and Deputy Secretary Biegun have likely continued, many conditions need to mature before these are made public," adding, "It is believed that they have also continued to request China and Russia to persuade North Korea to come to dialogue and to play a role in promoting denuclearization."

Lee Do-hoon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Steve Biegun, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the Department of State, are moving to hold a brief press conference on the 16th at the briefing room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

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