Foreign envoys moved by inter-Korean summit
The Philippines Ambassador Raul Hernandez, left, with The Korea Times President and Publisher Lee Byeong-eon at The Korea Forum 2018 at Shilla Hotel Seoul in downtown, Seoul, May 3. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Ko Dong-hwan
Foreign envoys based in Seoul said they were moved by the inter-Korean summit at the border village Panmunjeom on April 27. But most were uncertain whether Pyongyang would dismantle its nuclear program and declined to make definite predictions.
For South African Ambassador Nozuko Gloria Bam, one of the 20 national envoys invited to The Korea Forum 2018 at Shilla Hotel Seoul in downtown Seoul on May 3, the inter-Korean summit was reminiscent of the glee from a historical event in her home country. The date of the summit, April 27, was the same as South Africa's Freedom Day, which marked the first post-apartheid elections held in 1994.
“So you can imagine what it is like for me as I look at the history of Nelson Mandela,” Bam said. “It was for me very important to watch. Everyone at the embassy was watching. They were almost in tears to see the meeting of the two Koreas.”
As to North Korea's possible denuclearization, she remained upbeat, binding Pyongyang's hopeful future course to that of her own country that abandoned its nuclear weapons program in the 1990s.
“It is not going to be easy,” Bam said. “With the fact that they committed themselves to doing it, they need to be encouraged to carry on. We have done it voluntarily. I think everyone can learn from that experience. Denuclearization helps a country prosper so it can look at other ways for stabilization.”
Philippines Ambassador Raul Hernandez said he was “excited that something positive and lasting happened between North and South Korea.”
“We hope for a peaceful, stable Korean Peninsula that will benefit the people of the Koreas and the world,” Hernandez said.
Canadian Ambassador Eric Walsh was another who had “so many feelings” from the inter-Korean summit.
He said the meeting had “encouraging signs” for the North's denuclearization and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but said the world would have to see concrete steps follow.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson welcomed the summit, saying he believes the two Koreas "will work towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea, improve bilateral ties and reduce border tensions."
"Kim Jong-un's commitment to halt all nuclear, intercontinental and intermediate range ballistic missiles tests is a positive step," Johnson said. "We hope this indicates an intention to negotiate in good faith and that Kim has heeded the clear message to North Korea that only a change of course can bring the security and prosperity it claims to seek."
(From left) Ambassador Eero Suominen from the Embassy of Finland and Ambassador Milton Magana from the Embassy of El Salvador during a presentation from The Korea Forum 2018 at Shilla Hotel Seoul in downtown, Seoul, May 3. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Vladimir Vazquez Hernandez, deputy chief of mission at the Mexican Embassy, said he saw from the summit the “peaceful transformation of the expectations from the standpoint six months ago when nobody believed it (could happen).”
“It's a very enthusiastic way of seeing the future,” Hernandez said. “But expectations should be moderated. Still, I look forward to positive outcomes from the Trump and Kim Jong-un summit.”
Ambassador Milton Magana, from the Embassy of El Salvador, believes Pyongyang is “committed to continue with dialogue” and South Korean President Moon Jae-in “will do the right thing for the dialogue and negotiations.”
Finnish Ambassador Eero Suominen said the summit was “quite interesting because there were lots of symbolic things” and he felt he was “around a very historical moment for the Korean people.”
He refused to give a definite answer whether the North's denuclearization is in sight, calling it a “one thousand dollar question.”
“It's very difficult because this is a question about negotiation,” Suominen said. “How long does it take, that is the more relevant question.”
Ambassador Yip Wei Kiat, from the Embassy of Singapore, said the Asia Summit was being held in Singapore as the inter-Korea summit played out. As to the latter, he said it is a “very important issue for the entire region, if not for the world, in terms of peace and stability.”
Kiat found it surprising that the two Koreas had a summit, because “anyone who said such an event was going to happen six months ago would have been called crazy.”
“We should not move forward with any presumption about what somebody will or will not do,” Kiat said.
Chen Shaochun, Ambassador of Pyongyang's greatest ally, China, said his government “fully supports and welcomes the summit and hopes for Pyongyang's denuclearization, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
“China will have dialogue with states with stakes in the situation, including South Korea, to achieve those goals,” Shaochun said. “We will pursue strategic communications and cooperation for a win-win. This will improve China-South Korea ties as well.”