'Korean Peninsula Peace' Chief Noh Kyu-duk Holds Series of Consultations with US and Japan's Senior North Korea Nuclear Envoys

'Stable Management of the Korean Peninsula Situation' Addressed... Minimizing Dialogue Gaps for Progress in the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process'
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Noh Kyu-duk, Head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Roh Kyu-duk, the newly appointed head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters, is continuing a swift series of talks to advance the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process,' including consecutive consultations with the chief nuclear negotiators from the United States and Japan. Earlier, the government replaced key diplomatic and security officials responsible for Korean Peninsula issues ahead of the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in the United States.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 24th, since his appointment on the 21st, Roh held his first telephone consultation with Stephen Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, on the afternoon of the 22nd, which also served as a courtesy meeting. On the morning of the 23rd, he also held his first consultation with Takehiro Funakoshi, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the first consultations between Roh and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, the main issue discussed was the ‘stable management of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.’ Given the high uncertainty in the international situation during the transition of the U.S. administration, North Korea’s 8th Party Congress scheduled for early January next year has become a focal point of attention, with concerns even arising about the possible revival of the North Korea-China-Russia versus South Korea-U.S.-Japan confrontation structure.

During the South Korea-U.S. chief nuclear negotiators’ talks, Roh urged, “Let us manage the current transitional situation stably while continuing communication and cooperation between South Korea and the U.S.” In response, Representative Biegun reiterated the U.S. commitment to resuming North Korea-U.S. dialogue and stated that the U.S. would closely coordinate and cooperate with South Korea on North Korea policy. Furthermore, in the South Korea-Japan chief nuclear negotiators’ consultation, both sides exchanged views on cooperation measures between South Korea and Japan, as well as trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, to stably manage the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Roh’s consecutive series of meetings is also interpreted as an effort to minimize the dialogue gap for advancing the ‘Korean Peninsula Peace Process.’ From the South Korean government’s perspective, it is necessary to proactively create an atmosphere for resuming South Korea-North Korea-U.S. talks, which have been in a long-term deadlock since the ‘Hanoi No Deal’ in February 2019, ahead of the Biden administration’s inauguration.

However, it is expected to take some time to establish a stable South Korea-U.S.-Japan working-level dialogue channel. Representative Biegun is scheduled to step down with the inauguration of the Biden administration in January, and the Japanese representative, Director-General Funakoshi, only recently (December 2) began overseeing Korean Peninsula issues, including the North Korean nuclear problem, following the transfer of his predecessor, Shigeki Takizaki, to the Cabinet Secretariat as Deputy Minister.

A diplomatic source said, “For now, efforts are needed to manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula to prevent North Korean provocations while maintaining consensus with neighboring countries on denuclearization and permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula,” adding, “The highest priority is to start full-scale consultations to put the issue of easing sanctions on North Korea on the fast track.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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