By Na Jeong-ju
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s to China could raise pressure on the Lee Myung-bak administration to reshape its North Korea policy and activate dialogue with the neighboring communist nations, analysts said Friday.
Lee is facing mounting calls to reopen dialogue channels first with Pyongyang to make a breakthrough in the stalled inter-Korean relations and pave the way for the resumption of the six-party talks on the North’s nuclear program.
Seoul officials hoped that Kim’s China visit will bring positive changes to both Koreas, but ruled out the possibility that Lee’s hard-line stance on the North’s nuclear brinkmanship and military provocations would change.
“Our efforts to create a turning point for relations with North Korea will continue,” a presidential aide on inter-Korean affairs said on condition of anonymity.
“Positive changes can be made only if Pyongyang agrees to cooperation and dialogue. The inter-Korean relations depend on how North Korea behaves.”
President Lee has been sending mixed messages to the North by indicating willingness for dialogue, while at the same time vowing a stern response to provocative behavior.
He has reiterated his readiness to meet with the reclusive leader to make a real difference in the interests of both Koreas.
Nevertheless, many analysts say many statements coming out of the conservative government are as confusing as those of the past George W. Bush administration, which had also sent conflicting messages concerning dialogue and regime change.
As a result, there is general consensus that Lee’s hawkish stance on North Korea has yielded no meaningful progress.
One of the serious concerns is the lack of dialogue channels.
Analysts say Kim’s China visit will spur dialogue between the communist allies on military ties and economic aid.
Early this month, Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy on North Korea policies, said the U.S. will soon decide whether to send a team of officials to North Korea to look into food shortages there, a development that may enhance the mood for restarting dialogue.
President Lee, during a visit to Berlin last week, invited Kim to the Nuclear Security Summit, slated for next year in Seoul, to discuss solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue.
Lee’s press officers said at the time the message was formally conveyed to the North, but some diplomatic sources said Friday the two Koreas have never met to discuss the matter.
Days after Lee announced the proposal, Pyongyang’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, a propaganda outlet, denounced it as a “ridiculous” offer, saying the Lee administration has no intention to improve inter-Korean ties.
