'Inter-Korean ties not in good shape'

Presidential National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong touches his glasses at the start of this year's annual National Assembly audit of the NSO, Friday. Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul

Relations between the two Koreas are “not in good shape,” Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office (NSO), said Friday.

“Since May, North Korea has conducted 12 tests of short-range and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). It's true that relations between the two Koreas are not in good shape,” the NSO chief said at the start of this year's National Assembly audit of the presidential office.

Chung's remarks came a day after North Korea launched two missiles in an apparent move to pressure the United States to bring “better offers” back to discussions on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament.

Before the tests, North Korea warned it was losing patience with what it described as Washington's “hostile policy.” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un set the end of the year as a deadline for the U.S. to change its approach.

Negotiators from Washington and Pyongyang met in Stockholm, Sweden earlier this month, but walked away without an agreement. North Korea said the U.S. didn't come up with a “new method” to break the impasse in the denuclearization dialogue, while Washington called the failed talks a “good opportunity” to learn more about each other's positions.

Chung said South Korea will remain patient in handling its North Korea policy and push efforts to alleviate tension on the peninsula.

“In order to see visible progress in the nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula in the foreseeable future, South Korea will be very active in cooperating with the U.S. and neighboring countries,” Chung said.

Despite the stalemate, communications between the Koreas are “still alive,” according to the NSO chief. He said the South doesn't view the North's repeated provocations as a breach of a military agreement signed in which the two Koreas vowed to stop all provocative acts.

“North Korea isn't in a situation to start a war. The NSO is well aware that North Korea isn't a normal state. Plus, the NSO believes North Korea's missile technology and operations don't pose a grave threat to national security as South Korea is very far ahead of the North in missile defense both in terms of quality and quantity. While I can't tell you the specifics of South Korea's preparatory measures, we are making efforts to introduce various new weapons systems to respond to new types of security threats,” Chung said.

Regarding questions over South Korea's role in the denuclearization process, he admitted progress in the denuclearization process so far this year had failed to meet Seoul's earlier expectations. “But I can say based on the mutual trust between the leaders of the United States and North Korea, top-down nuclear diplomacy is still intact. The dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is alive.”

“South Korea is now at a critical crossroads of either achieving complete denuclearization of the peninsula or moving toward permanent peace. But this is a challenge that we should overcome. In the past two years, there was lots of progress. But the peace process has just begun and we have a long way to go,” Chung said.

Regarding the government not renewing its military information-sharing pact with Japan, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), the presidential aide said Washington had informed Cheong Wa Dae through various diplomatic channels that it hoped this would be extended.

“Given Japan's action regarding Thursday's missile test by the North, we can't extend the GSOMIA without a move from Japan. The GSOMIA is an issue related to South Korea's sovereignty,” he said. No information was passed between the two countries regarding the test.

A few hours after the test, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unusually mentioned close cooperation with South Korea in its efforts to guarantee peace and security, Japan's Kyodo news reported. The GSOMIA will officially expire Nov. 22 unless Seoul notifies Tokyo of its renewal. The government decided to cancel the GSOMIA in response to Japan imposing trade restrictions on exports to South Korean companies, and its removal of Seoul from a whitelist of trade partners given preferential treatment.