Kim Jong-dae "North Korea-China-Russia likely to cooperate... Dialogue with China and Russia needed even now"

"Need to Restore the Virtue of Balanced Diplomacy"
"North Korea, China, and Russia Conduct Trilateral Military Exercises and Settle Trade in Yuan and Ruble"

Amid speculation that North Korea, China, and Russia may strengthen their ties following the summit between Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, former lawmaker and diplomatic expert Kim Jong-dae urged, "We must start dialogue with China and Russia even now," calling for proactive moves from our diplomatic authorities.

On the 14th, Kim said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "We need to extend our hand first, even if it means enduring some humiliation, and now turn our gaze toward the continent."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He pointed out, "So far, South Korea's diplomacy has tended to be self-satisfied with strengthening the Korea-US-Japan alliance," adding, "That only accounts for about 50% of our diplomatic and security strategy."

He continued, "There has been a tendency to rest on the Korea-US-Japan alliance, but now, just as much as strengthening the alliance, it is more important to focus diplomatic efforts on preventing adversaries from forming alliances. There needs to be a shift in perception," and said, "We must now restore the virtues of balanced diplomacy."

Kim argued that South Korea's excessive support for Ukraine has caused closer ties between Russia and North Korea. He said, "Since last year, Russia has designated our country as an unfriendly state and has warned us several times about sending artillery shells to Ukraine," adding, "There were multiple opportunities for us to intervene and manage the closeness between North Korea and Russia. South Korea should have conducted more cautious diplomacy."

Kim predicted that the North Korea-Russia summit would lead to a cooperative pattern among North Korea, China, and Russia. He said, "In the past, when Russia and North Korea became close, China acted as a check, but one of the most unusual aspects this time is that China is not acting as a check," adding, "It is highly likely that the three countries will proceed with cooperation."

He said, "Regarding military exercises, it is likely that not only North Korea and Russia but also China will participate, conducting trilateral military drills," and added, "If trade between North Korea and Russia becomes active, there is a high possibility that the three countries will discuss whether to settle transactions in rubles or yuan."

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