Moon to shine on N. Korea with US backing
By Yi Whan-woo
President Moon Jae-in is expected to push for dialogue with North Korea based on close consultations with the United States, analysts said Thursday.
They dismissed concerns that Moon’s dialogue overture toward Pyongyang could be out of tune with Donald Trump’s hard-line policy, saying Moon is unlikely to resume inter-Korean ties at the cost of hurting the alliance with Washington.
“Regarding inter-Korean relations, Moon will not attempt any contact with North Korea that can surprise the U.S,” said Moon Chung-in, a Yonsei University professor who served as the chief architect of North Korea policy during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Moon was Roh’s chief of staff.
The professor referred to Moon’s inauguration speech, Wednesday, during which he said he will “fly to Washington right away if necessary.”
Moon, who once said he will unhesitatingly visit North Korea before the U.S. if he was elected president, suggested going to Pyongyang when “conditions are set.”
“The president hinted at resolving inter-Korean ties through cooperation with the U.S. by underscoring the Seoul-Washington alliance while refraining from mentioning North Korea,” the professor said.
Pointing out the Trump administration did not rule out dialogue with North Korea in its strategy of “maximum pressure and engagement,” the professor urged the government to “coordinate North Korea policy with the U.S.”
“So that we can not only keep up with putting pressure on Pyongyang but also focus on engagement,” he said.
He added that the two allies should divide their roles on North Korea — the U.S. playing “bad cop” and South Korea “good cop.”
Other experts echoed a similar view, citing Moon had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump first among world leaders, Wednesday.
Moon called the Seoul-Washington alliance the “foundation” of South Korea’s diplomatic and security policies.
He expressed hope to visit Washington at an early date to meet Trump and exchange thoughts candidly, according to diplomatic sources.
“It appears that Moon is seeking to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula based on the Seoul-Washington alliance,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. Calling South Korea a “great ally,” Trump agreed with Moon to bolster the alliance between the two countries and deepen their friendship.
Trump also invited him to visit Washington as soon as possible
Moon said he will send a special diplomatic delegation to the U.S. at the “earliest date.”
Some diplomatic sources said a Seoul-Washington summit could take place in June.
Lingering concerns on Seoul-Washington conflict
Moon’s inauguration and his telephone dialogue with Trump came amid some U.S. media reports that the new Seoul government may collide with Washington in resolving Pyongyang’s growing nuclear and ballistic missile threats. Under the headline “Trump on collision course with South Korean leader on dealing with North,” The New York Times reported that Moon’s possible “Sunshine II” approach will be in “direct contradiction” to Trump’s policies.
The Wall Street’s headline on a related report read, “South Korea’s next president poised to test Trump’s strategy for North Korea.”
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University, said he finds such concerns convincing.
“Although they may look similar, Trump’s maximum pressure and engagement policy views engagement as a secondary element, while Moon’s North Korea policy is likely to put weight on dialogue eventually,” he said. “In these circumstances, friction with the U.S. can possibly happen.”
Yang claimed that Moon’s emphasis on the Seoul-Washington cooperation also should be interpreted as a part of efforts to “take the initiative on inter-Korean policies” as the late Presidents Roh and Kim Dae-jung did.
“In return, Moon is likely to side with the U.S. on other global issues,” he said.