The United States (US), South Korea, and Japan held a trilateral consultation to discuss the North Korea nuclear issue in Seoul on Monday, marking the first since the US’ appointment of a new special representative for the country. The meeting came after the White House announced in April that it had reviewed its North Korea policy and signalled readiness for dialogue while building on a 2018 bilateral agreement focused on Pyongyang’s commitment towards denuclearisation.
The face-to-face meeting was held between the Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs of South Korea, Ambassador Noh Kyu-duk, the US Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Ambassador Sung Kim, and the Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Funakoshi Takehiro.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry stated that the chief negotiators reflected on the close coordination of the three countries throughout the US’ policy review process on North Korea, held soon after the inauguration of President Joe Biden. They also agreed to continue cooperation for the early resumption of dialogue with Pyongyang to progress in the complete denuclearisation process and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
“We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach and offer to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions,” the Kyodo News Agency reported Kim, who is also the US Ambassador to Indonesia, as saying at the outset of the meeting. He added, “Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with the DPRK, as we seek to make practical progress that increases the security of the United States and our allies.”
Kim arrived in Seoul on Saturday, a day after North Korean state media KCNA reported that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un urged preparation for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, particularly stressing on the latter. About these comments, The Straits Times reported the US envoy as saying: “We will be prepared for either because you know, we are still waiting to hear back from Pyongyang for a meeting.” Besides expressing willingness to return to dialogue, the US envoy also indicated that Washington would continue to pressurise Pyongyang through the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions against North Korea to address ongoing threats it poses to international society.
On the sidelines of the trilateral consultation, South Korea also held a bilateral meeting with Japan on the same day. South Korea’s foreign ministry stated that the respective negotiators “shared their assessments of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.” “They also exchanged views on ways the two countries, along with the US, can work together “to make substantive progress in the complete denuclearisation and establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry said.
The Japan Times cited a diplomatic source saying that during Kim’s five-day visit to South Korea, he will also attempt to contact North Korea by visiting Panmunjeom, a truce village located inside the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas. However, a South Korean government official dismissed the speculation, saying that no such visit has been planned.
Whether North Korea agrees to return to the negotiating table after the US promised “no preconditions” remains to be seen.