US urged not to freeze Olympic thaw
President Moon Jae-in, left in the front row, gives a standing ovation with other dignitaries, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong, right in the back row, and the North's nominal head Kim Yong-nam, second from right in the back row, as North and South Korean athletes march together under the "unification flag" at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Friday. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right in the front row, remains seated. / Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
The United States is apparently unhappy with President Moon Jae-in’s push to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue with dialogue, but it faces growing calls not to throw cold water on the hard-earned conciliatory mood between the two Koreas.
Experts say the hawkish U.S. stance shows Washington’s frustration and impatience over the North Korea issue which is moving faster than a controllable pace. They say such an attitude won’t help resolve the nuclear issue or strengthen the alliance with the South.
During his whole visit here last week for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence only reiterated the U.S. stance to impose maximum pressure and sanctions on the North until the latter shows sincerity in giving up its nuclear and missile ambitions.
He virtually boycotted a reception hosted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in before the opening ceremony of the Games, in which he was supposed to sit with North Korea’s nominal head Kim Yong-nam. He arrived late at the reception and left five minutes later after exchanging greetings with several figures there, but not Kim.
At the opening ceremony, he sat in the same row as Moon in the VIP box, and avoided eye contact with Kim and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong who were in the back row. Unlike other dignitaries, he did not stand when South and North Korean athletes jointly marched under a “unification flag.”
AP reported that Pence said Friday the U.S. would oppose inter-Korean talks until North Korea agreed to start negotiations on denuclearization.
Some American media also reported U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Sunday it was too early to say the Olympic detente between the Koreas will lead to a breakthrough.
“Clearly, it’s too early to say if using the Olympics in a way to reduce tensions, if that is going to have any traction once the Olympics are over. We can’t say this right now,” he was quoted as saying.
Lee Kang-yun, a political analyst, said Washington wants the two Koreas ― or at least South Korea ― to move according to a pace it can control. “But as the inter-Korean talks and conciliatory atmosphere are suddenly accelerating along with the sports event, it gets impatient,” he said.
“The detente started from Kim Jong-un’s New Year speech, and with his invitation of Moon to visit Pyongyang, the North has taken the initiative. I’m concerned that such a situation would make reasonable, relatively soft-liners in the Donald Trump administration have a smaller say.”
He said Pence’s attempts to avoid the North Korean delegation at the Olympics showed the Trump administration’s inflexible and unpolished diplomatic skills.
“Pence could have made diplomatic rhetoric, such as: the U.S. agrees on the inter-Korean talks in principle; the allies should seek a two-track approach for inter-Korean relations and denuclearization; or the U.S. hopes the North will show some symbolic measure for denuclearization. But he did not. It is an unrefined expression of the Trump administration’s impatience over the fact that it was not involved,” Lee said.
S. Korean special envoy to NK
In the meantime, attention is on whether Seoul will send a special envoy to Pyongyang to discuss the inter-Korean summit proposed by Kim Jong-un.
Kim Yo-jong delivered the North Korean leader’s invitation during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Saturday. She told Moon she came here “on a special mission,” virtually saying she was a special envoy, according to the presidential office.
A special envoy, if sent, will have to “read the North Korean leader’s mind” and coordinate a summit agenda with North Korean officials.
Those on the possible envoy list are Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok, who were present during Kim Yo-jong and Moon’s talks.
Moon at that time introduced Cho and Suh to Kim, saying, “These two used to visit Pyongyang often during the former Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations.”
Some experts say Moon should send a special envoy to Washington as well, to persuade the U.S. to open dialogue with the North.