By Kim Young-jin
The United States’ decision to send a delegation to North Korea to assess the food situation appeared to be a bid to induce Pyongyang to take positive steps towards resumption of multilateral denuclearization talks, analysts said.
The State Department said Friday that Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, would travel to the North for five days beginning Tuesday for “food assessment” and to address human rights. It is the first time Pyongyang has allowed a U.S. human rights envoy into the country.
“It’s a step towards resuming food aid as a way to induce the North to show a positive stance towards resumption of the six-party talks,” Park Young-ho, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said.
Pyongyang in recent months has appealed to the international community for food aid after a reportedly brutal winter and devastating floods last summer. The United Nations says the communist state needs 430,000 tons of food to feed its malnourished populace.
Seoul, however, believes that the food situation is not markedly worse than in previous years. Observers speculate the North could be aiming to stockpile ahead of 2012, the year it has pledged to become a powerful state.
The announcement came on the same day North Korean leader Kim Jong-il departed on a trip to China seen as a bid to secure economic aid from its main benefactor, sparking speculation that momentum could be growing for resumption of dialogue.
“If Kim Jong-il can secure a generous amount of aid from Beijing, then Pyongyang is likely to pursue a resumption of the talks in return,” Yoo Ho-yeol of Korea University said.
Beijing has pressed for an unconditional resumption of the six-party forum, while Washington and Seoul have insisted the North take a responsible attitude over two deadly provocations last year and take clear denuclearization steps first.
U.S. officials stressed that the announcement did not necessarily mean it would resume food aid, suspended in 2008 over lack of transparency and amid rising tensions. They said any decision to resume the activities would be made in close coordination with Seoul, amid reports the allies were not on the same page over the issue.
The delegation’s trip could be used to gauge the North’s genuine willingness to take action over its nuclear program, Yoo said, adding a resumption of U.S. aid could result in Pyongyang allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to return to the country.
Hopes for resumption of the six-party talks have been in limbo of late, after regional players agreed the two Koreas should first meet for bilateral denuclearization talks. The North has yet to respond to the South’s offer for such talks, with sides apparently deadlocked over whether Pyongyang should first apologize for the provocations.
Efforts to restart the forum picked up pace in November last year, when the North unveiled a sprawling uranium enrichment program. It has been stalled since 2008, when Pyongyang walked away after being slapped with sanctions for its missile and nuclear tests.
Washington also said King would try to secure the release of Eddie Yong-su Jun, an American detained by the North for reported illegal religious activities.