By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea’s recent release of two Americans who were detained — Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller — is a positive move toward thawing relations between Pyongyang and Washington.
In a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented, “We welcome the release of the two Americans on Nov. 8 after that of Jeffrey Fowle on Oct. 21.”
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department announced that Bae and Miller — who had been held since November 2012 and April, respectively — were allowed to leave the North.
Obama sent National Intelligence director James Clapper as an envoy to talk with the North’s authorities.
Obama welcomed the release at the White House, saying “It is a wonderful day for them and their families.” He praised Clapper for “doing the great job on what was an obviously challenging mission.”
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said that North Korea might have been tempted to free the U.S. detainees because of
growing international pressure
, including from the U.S., on its human rights record.
“Obama seems to have needed to show diplomatic fruit in relations with North Korea because he has suffered defeat in the recent elections,” he said.
Yang cautioned against the possibility that South Korea might be isolated in the diplomatic negotiations among the regional powers should the North continue to press for dialogue with the U.S. and Japan.
Further, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Abe plan to have a summit soon. But there are no signs that a summit between President Park Geun-hye and the Japanese leader will occur anytime soon.
Regarding the release of the Americans, the South’s foreign ministry said it had previously been informed of Clapper’s visit to the North and that the U.S. would not alter its position on the reclusive state’s nuclear program.
“The release does not mean a change in the tone of U.S.-North Korean relations, mainly focused on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program,” said a high-ranking government official at MOFA.
Another government official said, “The bilateral ties depend on how the North handles its programs for nuclear and missile weapons and what it does about the human rights issue.”
South Korea on Sunday also urged North Korea to release its Baptist missionary Kim Jung-wook quickly.
“In addition, we call on the North to let go of missionary Kim as soon as possible, and to respond positively to the South’s calls for inter-Korean humanitarian issues, including family reunions,” an official said.
North Korea arrested Kim in October last year while he was traveling there. He was sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying and setting up underground churches.
North Korea has described Kim as a South Korea National Intelligence Service (NIS) spy, who sneaked into the country to incite dissent. The NIS rejected the claim, saying it had nothing to do with Kim.
”The recent release shows that the North and the United States have managed to set up a dialogue channel between high-ranking officials,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul on Sunday.
“As [James] Clapper made the visit to Pyongyang in his capacity as a special presidential envoy, it means the opening of dialogue, albeit indirect, between U.S. President [Barack] Obama and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,” he added.