This is the second in a series of interviews with international experts on the Korean Peninsula to discuss key issues at the upcoming inter-Korean summit slated for April 27. ― ED.
By Kim Jae-kyoung
Hopes for peace on the Korean Peninsula are running high ahead of the upcoming inter-Korea summit scheduled for Friday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has signaled there could be a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, and both the United States and China have publicly espoused Seoul's approach.
Sean King, senior vice president of Park Strategies, said Moon should not obsess over a peace treaty itself but focus on ensuring Seoul's equivalency in any agreements with Pyongyang.
"A peace treaty should be between Seoul and Pyongyang with perhaps Washington and Beijing signing a parallel agreement but never between Washington and Pyongyang per se," King said in an interview.
"Any such equivalency (Washington-Pyongyang) only validates North Korea's false propaganda narrative that it defended the peninsula against U.S. forces."
King is an expert on politics of East Asia at the New York-based consulting firm. He previously served as senior adviser for Asia in the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce.
He said a peace treaty requires signatories to recognize each other but he believes Pyongyang is not willing to sign with Seoul, given the North has repeatedly dubbed the South as an illegitimate U.S. colonial puppet state.
"That's why Pyongyang insists on a peace treaty with Washington which might mean we'd end up recognizing Pyongyang without Pyongyang recognizing Seoul," he said.
"But either way, America should not be seen as North Korea's counterparty in any peace agreement."
The Korean Peninsula is still technically at war, as the United Nations Command signed an armistice, not a peace treaty, with North Korea and China on July 27, 1953.
Regarding North Korea's announcement Saturday to suspend all missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site, King said it does not necessarily mean that the isolated country is moving toward "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization."
"The announcement is merely a diversionary gesture. North Korea hasn't tested for a while anyway," he said.
"I'm sure it can easily reconstitute and reactivate its nuclear test site whenever it wants to. Let's not get too happy about this."
In King's view, Kim might have three main goals at his summit with President Moon _ building a positive image to the South and the world, driving a wedge between Seoul and Washington and sanctions relief.
"Kim had to go to Moon, as Trump initially froze Kim out. And for that, Trump should be commended," he said.
"So, even though Kim really only wants to meet Trump, he'll now make the most of his meeting with Moon to project a softer image of himself to the South's masses, seek sanctions relief and do whatever he can to put strain on the U.S.-South Korea alliance."
The North Korea specialist expects Kim will tell Moon at the summit that North and South Korea "should stand together as one against foreign forces," a plank of North Korean state ideology that resonates with some on South Korea's nationalist political left.
King's bottom line for Moon is "no sanctions relief."
"Moon can stress denuclearization but it won't matter because despite whatever seemingly friendly words Kim uses, he won't or can't denuclearize as we think of denuclearization," he said.
"What's more, the problem is not the nukes. It's the regime."
In particular, he called on Moon not to be too lenient with Kim Jong-un.
"President Moon should not become so invested in all this that he ends up making excuses for Kim," he said.
By Kim Jae-kyoung
Hopes for peace on the Korean Peninsula are running high ahead of the upcoming inter-Korea summit scheduled for Friday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has signaled there could be a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, and both the United States and China have publicly espoused Seoul's approach.
Sean King, senior vice president of Park Strategies, said Moon should not obsess over a peace treaty itself but focus on ensuring Seoul's equivalency in any agreements with Pyongyang.
"A peace treaty should be between Seoul and Pyongyang with perhaps Washington and Beijing signing a parallel agreement but never between Washington and Pyongyang per se," King said in an interview.
"Any such equivalency (Washington-Pyongyang) only validates North Korea's false propaganda narrative that it defended the peninsula against U.S. forces."
King is an expert on politics of East Asia at the New York-based consulting firm. He previously served as senior adviser for Asia in the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce.
He said a peace treaty requires signatories to recognize each other but he believes Pyongyang is not willing to sign with Seoul, given the North has repeatedly dubbed the South as an illegitimate U.S. colonial puppet state.
"That's why Pyongyang insists on a peace treaty with Washington which might mean we'd end up recognizing Pyongyang without Pyongyang recognizing Seoul," he said.
"But either way, America should not be seen as North Korea's counterparty in any peace agreement."
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The Korean Peninsula is still technically at war, as the United Nations Command signed an armistice, not a peace treaty, with North Korea and China on July 27, 1953.
Regarding North Korea's announcement Saturday to suspend all missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site, King said it does not necessarily mean that the isolated country is moving toward "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization."
"The announcement is merely a diversionary gesture. North Korea hasn't tested for a while anyway," he said.
"I'm sure it can easily reconstitute and reactivate its nuclear test site whenever it wants to. Let's not get too happy about this."
In King's view, Kim might have three main goals at his summit with President Moon _ building a positive image to the South and the world, driving a wedge between Seoul and Washington and sanctions relief.
"Kim had to go to Moon, as Trump initially froze Kim out. And for that, Trump should be commended," he said.
"So, even though Kim really only wants to meet Trump, he'll now make the most of his meeting with Moon to project a softer image of himself to the South's masses, seek sanctions relief and do whatever he can to put strain on the U.S.-South Korea alliance."
The North Korea specialist expects Kim will tell Moon at the summit that North and South Korea "should stand together as one against foreign forces," a plank of North Korean state ideology that resonates with some on South Korea's nationalist political left.
King's bottom line for Moon is "no sanctions relief."
"Moon can stress denuclearization but it won't matter because despite whatever seemingly friendly words Kim uses, he won't or can't denuclearize as we think of denuclearization," he said.
"What's more, the problem is not the nukes. It's the regime."
In particular, he called on Moon not to be too lenient with Kim Jong-un.
"President Moon should not become so invested in all this that he ends up making excuses for Kim," he said.
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