Park weighs options ahead of WWII gathering in Moscow

With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apparently mulling a visit to Russia, speculation is rising that President Park Geun-hye might accept an invitation from Moscow and possibly hold talks with the young ruler.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited dozens of world leaders ― including U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ― to a ceremony on May 9 marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Moscow has received a “positive signal” from Pyongyang, the country’s state-run ITAR-Tass news agency reported late Wednesday, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We have sent several dozen invitations. About 20 guests have already confirmed their presence, and we continue to receive responses from other countries,” he said at a news conference.

It has not yet been decided whether Park will participate, Cheong Wa Dae said, adding that it is looking into all options and relevant factors.

“Her plan for May is not yet fixed and she has competing schedules,” presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters on Thursday. “The issue needs comprehensive judgment.”

Lavrov’s remarks gained traction as Pyongyang has apparently been sending conciliatory gestures toward Seoul after Kim expressed his openness toward “highest-level talks” with the South in his New Year speech.

Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae has also proposed high-level inter-Korean dialogue to discuss “all issues of mutual concern.”

Kim has not traveled overseas or held a summit with another head of state since taking power after the death of his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011.

The 60th-anniversary celebration in 2005 was attended by more than 50 leaders including then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao. Kim Jong-il was invited but did not turn up.

But this year’s event is unlikely to have a high turnout given the prolonged standoff between Moscow and the West over the Ukraine crisis, which may also sway Seoul’s decision.

“It’s quite possible that Pyongyang will accept Russia’s invitation, which would set the stage for Kim’s debut on the diplomatic stage, attracting the media spotlight and meeting with heads of states that he needs to see ... such as Park and Xi,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute.

“Yet it will be difficult for the leaders of the two Koreas to hold full-scale talks in Moscow, though a brief encounter or informal summit may be doable, which would help Seoul get Pyongyang to cooperate in issues in its interest such as regular reunions of separated families and a survey on their whereabouts.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)