'North Korea's denuke needs to be on track by March'

Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon. Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

Denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States need to be put back on track by early next year, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said Tuesday.

“Whether the denuclearization process gets on track by February or March will determine the direction of events surrounding the Korean Peninsula in 2019 and 2020,” he told reporters.

The remarks come at a time when the nuclear disarmament negotiations have hit a stalemate, despite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledging to work toward complete denuclearization at summits held this year.

At the inter-Korean summit in September, Kim said his regime would take steps such as the permanent shutdown of its key Yongbyon nuclear facility if the U.S. took corresponding measures.

A high-level meeting was scheduled for November to address these, but has been postponed indefinitely.

The minister said the denuclearization process would affect inter-Korean exchanges and projects.

“While inter-Korean relations are meaningful with regard to denuclearization, if there is no progress in this then they could also be affected,” he said.

Last month, Seoul and Washington launched a working group for closer consultation on inter-Korean projects and Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Meanwhile, a high-level ministry official said having nuclear disarmament on track meant “getting each side to specifically articulate their positions concerning denuclearization and putting them on the table.”

It is yet to be seen if the leaders in Pyongyang and Washington will be able to do this at their second summit, which is expected to take place early next year.

The official said, “The North is mulling over whether it will be able to receive sanctions relief as a corresponding measure if it takes denuclearization steps.”

He added that this may be the reason why Kim did not visit Seoul within this year as President Moon Jae-in had hoped. This is because with a lack of progress in denuclearization, the North cannot get any easing of sanctions, and under these circumstances, the South could not offer pledges on inter-Korean economic cooperation at the summit, which would be a disincentive for the visit.

Therefore, it would be better for Kim to visit Seoul after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the official noted. Along the same lines, he said Kim will not attend a symbolic “groundbreaking” ceremony to be held next week marking the launch of inter-Korean railway and roads projects.

Regarding sanctions, the official said they will remain in place until complete denuclearization is achieved. However, he added other possibilities could be considered if the North took tangible, irreversible steps showing its commitment to denuclearization.

The official said a declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War could be another corresponding measure for Pyongyang's steps to dismantle its nuclear program.