NK leader’s trip tests Seoul-Beijing ties
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff reporter
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's China visit is expected to provide a turning point in the 18-year-old diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, amid growing calls here for Beijing to play a more responsible role in reducing tension on the Korean Peninsula.
Reports said China failed to share any information with South Korea on Kim's trip, which came only three days after a summit between President Lee Myung-bak and President Hu Jintao in Shanghai, last Friday. Kim reportedly met with Hu in Beijing Wednesday.
It was a "slap in the face" to Seoul that Beijing allowed Kim's trip immediately after the Lee-Hu summit, some diplomatic sources here said Thursday.
"It is obviously unpleasant for Seoul," a source told The Korea Times. "What was discussed at the Lee-Hu meeting might have been discussed between Kim and Hu. The episode represents uneasy relations between South Korea and China over North Korea."
That also bodes ill for Seoul's move to gain Beijing's backing for an international response to the sinking of the Navy vessel Cheonan, which it believes was the result of a North Korean attack.
"The Lee administration's plan to refer the naval disaster to the U.N. Security Council has been thrown into doubt," the source said. "The problem is that Seoul doesn't know how China will react even if hard evidence of North Korea's involvement is found."
The Chinese government said the sinking and deciding on the North Korean leader's visit were separate issues.
"It is an internal affair to decide on a visit by a foreign leader. It is related to China's sovereignty," Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman of China's foreign ministry, told reporters.
Regarding media reports suspecting North Korea of being behind the naval tragedy, Jiang said China will wait for the result of the ongoing investigation with patience.
The troubled relationship could be another diplomatic challenge for Seoul amid speculation that Pyongyang may announce a return to the six-nation nuclear talks soon in exchange for financial assistance from Beijing.
North Korea is expected to stick to its strategy of excluding South Korea from the talks on its nuclear program.
Officially, South Korea has not voiced any complaints over China's handling of the two Koreas.
"Despite all the negative news about China here, I assure you that there is no change in our commitment to stronger ties," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Sun-kyoo said. "We will closely cooperate with China to deal with security issues."
Seoul has said it will link the Cheonan incident to the resumption of the nuclear talks, but it remains to be seen how the other members of the talks, including the United States, will respond.
"We hope that North Korea will cease its provocative behavior," U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Wednesday, referring to the ship sinking.