By Kim Young-jin
The top envoys of South Korea, China and Japan raised concern Sunday over North Korea’s plan to launch a satellite, with Beijing hinting at a tougher stance towards its recalcitrant neighbor.
The concern was shared by Foreign Minister Kim Sung-whan and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Yang Jiechi and Koichiro Gemba, respectively, during an annual trilateral gathering that took place in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo.
While Beijing fell short of sharing the view that the launch slated for between April 12 and 16 would constitute a violation of a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution, a Seoul official hinted that progress had been made on this count.
During a press conference, Kim and Gemba reiterated that stance while Yang instead called for calm to prevent tension causing the situation from deteriorating further.
But during one-on-one talks Saturday, Yang told Kim the sides should work not only bilaterally but also at the U.N. to prevent a situation that would threaten stability on the peninsula. An unnamed Seoul official said this implied that Beijing would consider the launch a violation of the resolution, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Observers are closely watching China’s handling of the situation as it has a history of protecting its neighbor from international censure, including after Pyongyang’s two deadly attacks against the South in 2010. Beijing is a permanent member of the UNSC and holds veto power.
Pyongyang says the satellite is purely for scientific purposes; but the plan has sent tension soaring, as it is seen by many as a cover for a long range missile test.
While Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and Moscow say the launch violates UNSC resolution 1874, which was implemented after the North conducted an underground nuclear test in 2009, Beijing has only expressed serious concern.
Yang added China would continue to press Pyongyang to stand down from the plan, foreign ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae said.
Officials here believe the launch will likely take place Thursday, judging from preparations visible from satellite imagery.
Many in the international community are worried that the test could further the North in its bid to build a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead as far as the United States.
Reports citing an unnamed intelligence said North Korea appeared to be making preparations for a third nuclear test, citing commercial satellite imagery that show new tunnels being dug at a site in Punggye-ri, North Hamgyeong Province.
Meanwhile, both Yang and Gemba expressed hopes to establish a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA), with Kim saying Seoul was deliberating such a pact.
During talks with Gemba, Kim said bilateral issues such as the territorial dispute over South Korea’s eastern-most islets of Dokdo and Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women will not be solved unless Tokyo acknowledges its misconduct.
Seoul on Friday expressed its “deepest regret” over Japan’s latest claim to jurisdiction over Dokdo and wants it to resolve the issue of the so-called “comfort women” forced into sexual slavery at frontline Japanese brothels during World War II.
Kim, Yang and Gemba were expected to focus on the North’s launch as well as the proposed FTA during a three-way meeting Sunday.
Analysts suspect the satellite launch is tied to the regime’s efforts to bolster the reputation of the inexperienced Kim Jong-un, who took power after the December death of his father, Kim Jong-il. Some also say it is part of Pyongyang’s efforts to proliferate missile technology.