Top diplomats discuss 2-track North Korea handling

Kang Kyung-wha, Republic of Korea's Foreign Affairs Minister, has a private conversation with Rex Tillerson, USA's Secretary of State at the first session of the 2018 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Security and Stability on Korean Peninsula in Vancouver, British Columbia, Jan. 16. The USA and Canada are jointly hosting the meeting. / UPI-Yonhap

By Lee Min-hyung

Top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Vancouver, Canada, Tuesday, to discuss how to handle North Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

They agreed to make joint efforts to bring North Korea to the negotiating table to discuss denuclearization, while at the same time implementing international sanctions on it, a ministry official said, without giving further details.

The top diplomats met on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ meeting of 20 countries on tightening the United Nations sanctions on North Korea.

“The complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of North Korea remains the unwavering goal of the Korean government and the international community,” Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in her opening remarks at the foreign ministers’ meeting.

She said Seoul will hold talks with Pyongyang to find the best ways to urge North Korea to stop its continued nuclear threat.

“We will continue to seek realistic and effective ways to resume denuclearization talks at the earliest possible date.”

Last week, Pyongyang agreed to resume military talks with Seoul to reduce tension on the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also said it would send a delegation for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

This was the first time that the North showed signs of abating its provocative stance against the South since President Moon Jae-in took office last May, with Seoul welcoming the offer.

But the U.S. and Japan called for stricter sanctions on North Korea.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: “We have to recognize that the threat is growing. And if North Korea does not choose the path of engagement, of discussion, negotiations, then they themselves will trigger an option.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono also underlined the need for taking a hard-line stance on North Korea.

“I am aware that some people argue that now that North Korea is engaging in inter-Korea dialogue, we should reward them by lifting sanctions or by providing some sort of assistance,” Kono said during the meeting.

He also noted that the reconciliatory posture of North Korea is aimed at buying some time to continue their nuclear and missile programs. He also called those who disagree with this “too naive.”

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the three foreign ministers agreed that the meeting was held in a timely manner at a time when the inter-Korea dialogue is underway and the Olympics is around the corner.

“They agreed to take advantage of the momentum to denuclearize North Korea, and pledged to continue holding consultations and spare no efforts in sharing their diplomatic partnership on the issue,” a ministry official said.