Jeong Dong-young "How great would it be if Kim Jong-un is invited to APEC"

[Financial News] Jeong Dong-young, candidate for Minister of Unification, announced that he would create an atmosphere to invite Kim Jong-un, the General Secretary of the Workers' Party, to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which opens in late October in Gyeongju. However, the possibility of inviting Kim Jong-un to APEC is slim due to the severed dialogue between the two Koreas.
Candidate Jeong responded to a question from Kim Ki-woong, a member of the People Power Party, at the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's confirmation hearing on the 14th, asking if he plans to invite General Secretary Kim to APEC as an observer, "If such a situation arises, how great would it be," and "APEC is about four months away, so I will speed up from now to create such an environment," he said.
Candidate Jeong emphasized, "If a summit between Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and General Secretary Kim is realized, the possibility of Kim's visit to APEC could dramatically increase," adding, "If APEC becomes a table for peace on the Korean Peninsula, how auspicious it would be and how much its significance would shine."
Earlier, Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, had announced that he would invite General Secretary Kim to the Gyeongju APEC summit. There is also an opinion that not only President Trump but also Xi Jinping, President of China, Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, should all be invited to enhance the atmosphere of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Candidate Jeong also mentioned, when asked by Kim Young-bae, a member of the Democratic Party, whether there is a plan to create a new peace order using APEC as a starting point, "The leaders participating in APEC will also be interested in playing a role in contributing to peace on the Korean Peninsula by coming to Korea, a divided country."
Meanwhile, Candidate Jeong assessed that North Korea is not the main enemy but a threat. He also stated that it is right to reclaim wartime operational control. Candidate Jeong responded to a question from Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, asking if he thinks of North Korea as the main enemy, "I do not agree." However, Candidate Jeong stated, "North Korea is a threat."
When Kim countered, "Do you think peace can be achieved only through declarations and dialogue?" Candidate Jeong replied, "Dialogue and wise diplomacy are necessary." Kim pointed out, "North Korea's nuclear weapons are confirmed. Do you think permanent peace can be achieved only through dialogue and diplomacy without achieving a balance of power at a time when North Korea has a nuclear monopoly?" Candidate Jeong countered, "Four out of six nuclear tests by North Korea were conducted during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. The advancement of nuclear capabilities was achieved during the Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, and Yoon Seok-youl administrations. Reflection on that should come first."


rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter