President cautioned against furthering inter-Korean projects with no denuke progress
By Kim Bo-eun
Pressure on President Moon Jae-in regarding his role as mediator between North Korea and the U.S. is growing amid what appears to be a deadlock in denuclearization talks.
Moon's third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had been planned for next month under the premise that U.S. Secretary Mike Pompeo would visit the North before the summit and reach a deal on North Korea submitting a list of its nuclear weapons.
Pompeo's visit, however, was cancelled over the weekend, due to what President Donald Trump cited as lack of progress in the North's denuclearization.
Expectations were that Pompeo would get the North to submit the list, and Moon would discuss with Kim inter-Korean issues such as declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, along with carrying out other agreements in the Panmunjeom Declaration, namely economic cooperation.
Despite the cancellation of Pompeo's visit, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Tuesday that the inter-Korean summit would take place as planned.
Views are the absence of high-level denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. before the inter-Korean summit has placed the burden of addressing the issue on Moon.
“An opportunity has arrived for Moon to play the role of a driver or mediator,” former unification minister Jeong Se-hyun said in an interview on KBS radio Monday.
“Initially, the leaders were set to discuss inter-Korean projects, but now it appears the President will have to address denuclearization at the summit as well,” Shin Beom-chul, senior fellow at The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said.
“The President may agree to further inter-Korean projects, if North Korea states it will submit a list of its nuclear weapons,” he said.
The North Korean leader is likely to repeat Pyongyang's calls for the Seoul to go ahead with economic projects such as modernizing the North's railways and roads despite sanctions.
Analysts cautioned the P should keep a balance between inter-Korean affairs and denuclearization.
“What must be avoided is a bad deal which is agreeing to further inter-Korean projects even in circumstances with no progress in denuclearization,” Shin said.
Professor Kim Hyun-wook at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy said “Moon should play the role as a driver of furthering inter-Korean affairs and denuclearization, while sticking to principles.”
He cautioned against trying to take things too fast.
“If balance is lost it would endanger the dialogue on North Korea's denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
It remains to be seen how the inter-Korean summit will play out in the denuclearization process. With the postponement of Pompeo's visit, progress in North Korea's denuclearization has been stalled. Accordingly, expectations for a plan to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War in time with the UN General Assembly to be held next month appears to have fallen through. South Korea's hopes for sanctions on the North to be partially eased to begin economic projects within the year also appear in jeopardy.
In the meantime, projects such as opening an inter-Korean liaison office in the North this month have also been postponed. The Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said the postponement of Pompeo's visit affected the change in schedule. The U.S. has remained firm that inter-Korean affairs should go together with North Korea's denuclearization.