 |
| ▲ This composite image shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. (Yonhap) |
foreign ministry-N Korea
S. Korea's position should be reflected in process before any Trump-Kim talks: Seoul official
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will make sure that its position is reflected in any process leading to potential dialogue between President-elect Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during Trump's second term in office, a senior Seoul official said Tuesday.
The official made the remark as the prospects of another Trump-Kim meeting are gaining traction with Trump's election win last week, which could potentially impact Seoul's diplomacy with Washington and its policy toward the North, amid Pyongyang's growing ties with Russia and its troop support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
"During the first Trump administration, the United States had initially applied 'maximum pressure' on North Korea, so if he seeks to engage North Korea again, he's likely to follow that same approach," a senior foreign ministry official told reporters on background.
"However, since it's uncertain whether dialogue will resume at all, and everything is still up in the air, we will consider all possibilities," the official said.
Before shifting to dialogue, Trump and Kim had raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Trump warning of "fire and fury," and both of them boasting of having "nuclear buttons" on their desks.
But as the flurry of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea later unfolded, Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term, although the nuclear talks ended without a deal in early 2019.
"What's important is that any dialogue with North Korea should be led by us, and that we ensure that our position is reflected in the process," the official said.
Since then, Kim has completely abandoned his engagement policy with the U.S. and vowed to sever ties with the South, while bolstering its nuclear and missile development through its closer alignment with Russia.
On the expectations for China to play a role in the North's deployment of its soldiers to Russia, the official said the government intends to continue efforts to get Beijing to engage Pyongyang over the issue.
"We believe that China doesn't want to be seen being in the same group as North Korea and Russia ... so we think that these efforts are worthwhile."
The recent ratifications of the new defense partnership treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow appear to be related to the North's troop deployment to Russia, the official noted.
"It's highly likely that there is a significant connection," he said. "Given that Russia continues its war aggression on Ukraine and North Korea is involved in the war on Russia's side, it is difficult to expect any improvement in our relations with Moscow at this stage," the official added.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
