Kim Jong Un’s China visit: Coordinating North Korea-U.S. talks? Cho Hyun: “Hard to say definitively”; Chung Dong-young: “We need to watch cautiously”

[Financial News] The heads of the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there was a possibility that coordinating North Korea-U.S. talks was among the purposes of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to Dandong, China, but that the possibility should be examined cautiously. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun made the remarks at a comprehensive parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the 27th.
Minister Chung said, “There were too many people in his entourage for Kim’s visit to Dandong, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge to be viewed as merely an economic event.” He added, “The visit is highly unusual, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appearing; it displays the characteristics of summit diplomacy without a summit.”
He went on to say, “If he had visited the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, military officials should have accompanied him, but none did.” He noted, “The main feature was that the top diplomatic officials all turned out.”
During Kim’s visit to China, the possibility of coordination on North Korea-U.S. talks was raised as Ma Zhaoxu, a vice minister of commerce known for his expertise on the United States, also appeared in China.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said of whether North Korea-U.S. talks were being coordinated, “I think that possibility exists,” but added, “It is difficult to say definitively at this point. I think we need to consider various factors together.” Cho added, “We are also communicating with the United States and China so that dialogue between North Korea and the United States can take place and the current situation on the Korean Peninsula can be resolved.”
Asked whether a North Korea-U.S. summit was within reach, Cho said, “That could be the case, but I don’t think we can necessarily be optimistic.”
He also dismissed concerns that, at a North Korea-U.S. summit, the United States might eliminate only North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and leave in place nuclear weapons that threaten South Korea. Cho said, “We are coordinating closely with the United States to ensure that absolutely nothing like that happens.”
Minister Chung explained, “The expansion and development of North Korea-China relations helps North Korea engage with the outside world. In the longer term, ties have been severed and deadlocked for seven years. The goal is to move from the hostile two-state relationship that North Korea is pushing back against to dialogue.”
Concerns were also raised that North Korea could evade sanctions through the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge. Cho said, “China has tried not to undermine the core principles of sanctions against North Korea.” He added, “But as North Korea and Russia grow closer, China is also under pressure and seems to be trying to provide somewhat more support to North Korea in one form or another.”



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