Chung Dong-young: “North Korea is signaling openness to dialogue” ... Still clinging to hope despite Kim Yo Jong’s rebuff

[Financial News] Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young appeared before the National Assembly on the 5th and said there was still room for the possibility of dialogue between North Korea and the United States. Despite North Korea’s statement on the 4th that it would not sit down with countries engaging in hostile acts, Minister Chung could not give up hope for dialogue.
Minister Chung has been raising the possibility of a meeting between the North Korean and U.S. leaders during the APEC summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, this month.
But the previous day, Kim Yo Jong, director of the General Affairs Department of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, drew a line, saying there would be no dialogue until hostile acts—including demands for North Korea’s denuclearization and South Korea-U.S. military exercises—were stopped. Some North Korea experts believe there is no possibility whatsoever of dialogue between North Korea and the United States under current circumstances.
Minister Chung interpreted Director Kim’s statement as sending a signal that “the possibility of dialogue is open if it serves their interests.” He made the remarks while appearing that day at a comprehensive policy questioning session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.
Minister Chung explained, “Yesterday, she said explicitly that she knows dialogue is necessary for peace,” adding, “However, my interpretation is that she clearly laid out the precondition that there is no need for dialogue unless there are corrections or revisions to what they define as hostile policies, such as sanctions and pressure, military exercises, and human rights.”
He added, “North Korea is saying that if it wants to turn inter-Korean relations around, it should be shown respect and consideration,” and said, “I want to return those exact words to Pyongyang.”
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter