By Kim Se-jeong
Hyundai Group has denied news reports based on newly disclosed WikiLeaks documentation that quoted Hyun Jeong-eun, the group chairman, as having said Kim Jong-il no longer trusted China.
In a statement released Tuesday, Hyundai Group said the contents of the document reported by the press were “different” to the conversation Hyun had with U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens.
The cable was composed by Stephens after meeting Hyun in August 2009. It reportedly said, “Hyun said KJI (Kim Jong-il) characterized the current state of DPRK-Japan relations as ‘far worse than ever before’ and made a comment about ‘not trusting’ China.”
Hyun had just been in North Korea and met Kim in an effort to save the Mt. Geumgang tour project.
Her trip came soon after former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s trip to Pyongyang on a mission to bring back two American journalists, who had been detained by the regime.
Hyundai went further arguing against other details of the revelation,
According to the cable, “She (Hyun) complained that she faced more obstacles in South Korea than in the North. Hyun lamented that without government-to-government discussions, it would be impossible to implement her five-point agreement with Pyongyang.”
In refutation, Hyundai said, “During the meeting with Stephens, the chairwoman never complained about the South Korean government. The only thing she said was that the North seemed to have a flexible approach, whereas Seoul’s approach appeared hard.”
The cable showed Kim’s lack of trust toward the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which she argued had taken over “the driver’s seat” from the Ministry of Unification, which was North Korea’s former “handler,” and understood the regime better.