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South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un salute at their first meeting in the village of Panmunjom, in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, on April 27, 2018. (Korea Summit Press Pool via Reuters)
SEOUL – As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives Friday in Pyongyang, South Korean officials quietly watched – and probably nervously – the first high-level interaction between the United States United States and North Korea since President Trump met Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12.
For South Korean President Moon Jae-in, there are good reasons to worry. Prominent defender of talks between the United States and North Korea, the South Korean leader with a soft voice played a key role in bringing in the intrepid Trump and the late Kim Jong Un at last month's historic summit
and North Korea had to collapse, this could also mean a catastrophe for the ongoing negotiations of Seoul with Pyongyang. This in turn would cause major problems for Moon, whose high approval ratings may be partly attributed to his wise handling of Trump and Kim Jong Un.
North Korea's Commitment to denuclearization was the subject of a thorough review the Singapore summit. US intelligence officials told the Washington Post last week that North Korea did not intend to completely abandon its stockpiles of weapons, while recently released commercial satellite images showed that North Korea was developing a missile factory. A senior Seoul official visited Washington this week and suggested that the United States abandon its goal of "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" towards a more flexible approach. approach, according to the news agency.
[ Pompeo arrives in North Korea at a critical moment of nuclear talks]
Kim Eui-keum, a spokesman for the presidential Blue House, does not respond directly to the report when it is questioned on this subject on Friday. "What I can say is that South Korea and the United States are constantly communicating on these issues regarding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the settlement of a permanent peace," he told reporters. journalists.
This cautious approach from the South Korean President's office reflects growing skepticism about North Korea's willingness to abandon nuclear weapons, said Kim Sung-han, a former deputy minister of foreign affairs. foreign under conservative. Lee Myung-bak, who is now Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at the Korea University
He added that "the mixed signals from Washington" were probably another reason for this position, pointing out delays apparently different for North Korean denuclearization. offered by John Bolton, National Security Advisor for Pompeo and the White House. "The Blue House is not sure which side represents President Trump's spirit."
However, Moon Chung-in, a professor at Yonsei University and advisor to the South Korean president, said that the Blue House had always been clear. this would leave denuclearization-related problems in the United States and North Korea. "He has been a loyal facilitator," he said of the South Korean leader, adding that the president had "sometimes mediated between Pyongyang and Washington while there was a stone for it." stumbling between the two. "
[Trump-Kim summit: Trump says ‘We have developed a very special bond’]
issues related to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and reunification, added Moon Chung-in. The problems are closely related. Prior to his election in May 2017, Moon Jae-in had pursued a policy of warmer diplomatic and economic relations with North Korea.
These election promises were quickly tested, with North Korea having begun to carry out regular weapons tests. and fury "in response." Things have changed early this year, when Kim Jong Un – in a New Year's speech highlighting the technological advances made in his weapons tests – suggested that he might leave North Korean athletes participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
In the wake of the diplomatic activity that followed, South Korean diplomats were the ones who expressed the desire to Kim Jong Un to meet Trump Moon Jae-in met with his North Korean counterpart on April 27 in the demilitarized zone that divides the peninsula.
The two leaders agreed to work toward a variety of goals – including, inter alia, "a denuclearized Korean Peninsula"., "As well as economic cooperation and efforts to reunite families that were divided by the 1950-53 Korean War.
The South Korean government's efforts with North Korea have been remarkably popular with its audience. A survey conducted in early May found that 9 out of 10 South Koreans approved the inter-Korean summit, while the president had an 86 percent approval rating. It has fallen, however, in recent weeks, reaching 69%, while doubts about North Korea's intentions seemed to be spreading.
Although this is only slightly past, experts suggest that things could get worse. "Moon's popularity is a result of the rapprochement between the United States and North Korea," said Kang Won-taek, a professor at the Seoul National University. "If this relationship collapses, it will likely fall precipitously."
And finally, this relationship does not depend on South Koreans, but on American and North Korean interlocutors. Moon Chung-in noted that while current relations between South Korea, North Korea and the United States favor peace for all parties, this may well change
"Landmines are everywhere on the way of peace, Peninsular, "he said.
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