2nd Anniversary of Singapore Summit, Cold Winds on the Korean Peninsula... US "Disappointed" by North Korea's Attitude Change

Deadlock in Both North America and Inter-Korean Talks... Whether Cheong Will Play a Card to Reverse the Korean Peninsula Situation Draws Attention

[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Lim Cheol-young] The two-year anniversary of the June 12 Singapore North Korea?United States summit, which President Donald Trump of the United States touts as a diplomatic achievement, is just two days away, but the situation on the Korean Peninsula has been engulfed in a sudden chill.

The day after North Korea cut off inter-Korean communication channels, the United States unusually issued a statement expressing disappointment. Amid speculation that North Korea’s change in attitude is part of a 'Tongmi Bongnam (通美封南)' strategy, the U.S. stance also appears to be developing in an unusual manner.

According to Voice of America (VOA), on the 9th (local time), the U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement, "We are disappointed by North Korea’s recent actions," and added, "The United States has always supported progress in inter-Korean relations and urges North Korea to return to diplomacy and cooperation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is unusual for the U.S. State Department to use the word "disappointed" in an official statement. The U.S. government is expected to focus on North Korea’s political intentions and set its response accordingly. Due to practical limiting factors such as the upcoming U.S. presidential election scheduled for November, it is unlikely that a breakthrough in dialogue will be achieved immediately. North Korea is expected to focus on mitigating the economic shock caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) rather than improving North Korea?U.S. relations for the time being.

The 2018 Singapore North Korea?U.S. summit was a political event that raised expectations of transforming the Korean Peninsula into a space free from the fear of war. It was followed by speculation that the past history of confrontation and conflict could be left behind and replaced by a cooperative relationship of mutual growth.

However, North Korea?U.S. dialogue has fallen into a deadlock. Especially with the second anniversary of the Singapore summit approaching, North Korea’s declaration of a hardline stance has pushed the Korean Peninsula into a zero-hour state. North Korea has defined inter-Korean projects as "anti-state projects," cut off communication lines between the South and the North, and concerns are growing that it will proceed with confiscating assets in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and terminating the inter-Korean military agreement.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon Jae-in, who sought to change the situation on the Korean Peninsula by restoring dialogue, has fallen into a dilemma. With inter-Korean relations unlikely to progress in the short term, the focus of attention is on when and in what form the Blue House will unveil a "turnaround card."

The Blue House is exploring response measures in a mode of quiet movement (靜中動). Even amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea’s communication line cut-off, it has refrained from taking action.

A Blue House official said on the 9th, "There will be no separate National Security Council (NSC) meeting related to North Korea’s cut-off measures." This means there is no additional meeting scheduled outside the regular NSC schedule. While this indicates a refusal to be drawn into North Korea’s intention to raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula, it also serves as a pause to prepare a "turnaround card."

The Blue House is expected to continue efforts to offset North Korea’s opposing arguments while also considering a decisive card that could fundamentally change the game, such as an inter-Korean summit. The issue of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul remains an unplayed card. The problem is whether North Korea will respond positively. There is also the risk of falling into a deadlock without even being able to play the turnaround card.

Although opposition from the domestic conservative camp could be a variable, the concern is that if the sparks of conflict on the Korean Peninsula are left unattended, the chill between the South and the North could deepen further. On the 10th, Kim Jun-hyung, president of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said in an interview with CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," "If the whole game is broken, it would mean going back to 2017, but it does not seem that North Korea wants that yet," diagnosing that activating the peace process is the solution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.