Former Lawmaker Park Ji-won: "North Korea Will Definitely Return to Dialogue"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Former Minsaeng Party lawmaker Park Ji-won (photo) predicted that North Korea will eventually return to a dialogue stance regarding North Korea's recent complete cutoff of inter-Korean communications. He argued that under Kim Jong-un's State Affairs Commission leadership, North Korea is in a situation where improving inter-Korean relations is essential to solving livelihood issues, so it cannot completely sever ties with South Korea.

In an interview with Japan's Kyodo News on the 11th, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the June 15th Inter-Korean Joint Declaration, former lawmaker Park emphasized regarding North Korea's recent warning of retaliation against the leaflet distribution by defector groups, "There are concerns that (inter-Korean relations) might revert to the pre-summit state, but such a thing will never happen."

He argued that since economic development is currently North Korea's most important task, inter-Korean relations are indispensable. Former lawmaker Park explained, "Chairman Kim or North Korean residents cannot return the economy to the 'Arduous March' period of the 1990s," adding, "For North Korea's economic development, long-term improvement of inter-Korean and North Korea-US relations is absolutely necessary."

However, he predicted that North Korea might take actions such as dismantling facilities related to the Kaesong Industrial Complex or Mount Kumgang tourism, symbols of inter-Korean cooperation, as part of brinkmanship diplomacy. The analysis suggests that North Korea's hardline stance toward the South aims to pressure the Moon Jae-in administration to persuade the United States to ease sanctions on North Korea. Furthermore, former lawmaker Park mentioned circumstances indicating plans to spread COVID-19 to North Korea through leaflet distribution, stating, "I somewhat understand North Korea's concerns about the leaflet distribution." Along with this, he also mentioned the necessity of enacting laws banning leaflet distribution in accordance with inter-Korean agreements.

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