Korea Strives to Secure Momentum for Resuming Talks with North Korea... Concerns Raised Within US Administration

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa and Others Emphasize Complete Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and Establishment of Lasting Peace as Most Urgent Alliance Tasks at International Meetings
Passage of Law Banning Anti-North Korea Leaflets and Concerns over North Korean Human Rights Issues Also Highlighted

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Unification Minister Lee In-young are attending the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd, engaging in conversation. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Ahead of the inauguration of the U.S. Joe Biden administration in January next year, the South Korean government is striving to maintain momentum for resuming dialogue with North Korea. Meanwhile, concerns about the North Korea leaflet ban law, which has passed the U.S. Congress, and North Korea's human rights issues amid the COVID-19 situation are emerging within the United States.

On the 11th, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha delivered a keynote speech at the Aspen Security Forum held via video conference, stating, "The ROK-U.S. alliance has great potential to further promote peace, security, and prosperity at regional and global levels," and emphasized, "The most urgent alliance task is the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace." She reiterated the point that the ROK-U.S. alliance, based on shared values, must maintain momentum for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula through the resumption of dialogue.

Earlier, during a 4-night, 5-day visit last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun held talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-geun and Director-General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon, who repeatedly requested Biegun’s role in resuming dialogue. In particular, during consultations with Director-General Lee, who has worked closely as the chief nuclear negotiator on North Korea for over two years, both sides agreed to communicate and cooperate closely to ensure progress toward the goals of complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Director-General Lee personally took care of Biegun’s first-day dinner and also attended a luncheon with Biegun and Kent Haeusert, Sweden’s Special Envoy for the Korean Peninsula, who was visiting Korea.

The political sphere is also sending messages to prevent provocations by North Korea during the U.S. administration transition period and to sustain a South-North-U.S. dialogue atmosphere by emphasizing the 'North Korea Leaflet Ban Law (Inter-Korean Relations Development Act).' Song Young-gil, chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated during the plenary session on the 14th in support of the amendment to the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act, "The U.S. has over 5,000 nuclear weapons; how can it demand that North Korea and Iran not have nuclear weapons?" He added, "I hope you think about it in reverse. If President Donald Trump made an agreement, the next president should uphold it, but the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations did not inherit and instead denied the Roh Moo-hyun administration’s October 4 Declaration. How can they not protest?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, within the United States, voices of concern are growing over the passage of the amendment to the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act and North Korea’s human rights issues rather than movements toward resuming dialogue. According to Voice of America (VOA) on the 15th, Michael McCaul, Republican ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "Freedom of expression is a core value of democracy," and added, "The U.S. Congress has long supported efforts to provide external information to North Korea. The bright future of the Korean Peninsula depends on North Korea becoming like South Korea."

Earlier, U.S. Republican Congressman Chris Smith stated in a press release on the 11th (local time) that the passage of the amendment to the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act "criminalizes acts aimed at promoting democracy and providing mental and humanitarian support to residents suffering under the most brutal communist dictatorship."

North Korea’s human rights issues are also being highlighted simultaneously in the international community. On the 11th (local time), seven countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, and Japan, all members of the U.N. Security Council, issued a joint statement pointing out that about 100,000 people, including children, are imprisoned in political prison camps in North Korea, suffering from human rights abuses such as torture, starvation, and sexual violence, and criticized that human rights have worsened amid the spread of COVID-19.

In response, as uncertainty grows over progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process during the U.S. administration transition, there are calls for proactive measures. The Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, in its report titled "Assessment of the Korean Peninsula Situation in 2020 and Outlook for 2021," stated, "It will be difficult to expect that North Korea-U.S. dialogue will resume and the pace of progress in North Korea-U.S. relations will accelerate solely with the inauguration of the new U.S. administration. Therefore, it is limited to expect inter-Korean relations to improve in connection with North Korea-U.S. relations," and emphasized, "It is the Moon Jae-in administration’s top priority to obtain a commitment from the Biden side that a North Korea-U.S. summit is possible if North Korea reduces its nuclear capabilities, to have a concrete corresponding program, and to create a virtuous cycle by promoting North Korea’s announced new five-year plan."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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