Hopes rise for peninsular thaw

Hopes for a lasting thaw in inter-Korean relations and decreasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula are rising, with South Korean and US leaders expressing willingness to talk directly with North Korea.

In a late-night telephone conservation with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that he is willing to talk with Pyongyang if conditions are met, and reassured of no military actions while the two Koreas are engaged in dialogue. 

“The two leaders assessed that inter-Korean talks could go beyond the PyeongChang Olympics, and lead to US-North Korea talks on denuclearization,” Cheong Wa Dae’s chief press officer Yoon Young-chan said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the two Koreas held their first high-level talks in more than two years, during which North Korea confirmed its participation in the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, and agreed to hold military talks.

On Wednesday, Moon said that he would engage in any dialogue deemed beneficial to inter-Korean relations, including summit talks. However, he added that “talks for the sake of talks” are not acceptable and that Seoul will execute a two-track strategy of engagement and pressure.

Yoon also said that Trump stated that the US could talk with Pyongyang “at an appropriate time, under the right circumstances.”

He added that Trump denied recent reports that he was considering military options against North Korea, and that the US leader made it clear that no military action of any kind would be taken as long as the two Koreas are engaged in dialogue.

While Cheong Wa Dae chose to focus on Trump’s reassurance that military action would not be taken, the White House highlighted the two leaders’ stance on maintaining pressure on the North.

“The two leaders underscored the importance of continuing the maximum pressure campaign against North Korea,” the White House said in a statement on its website.

However, Pyongyang is unlikely to willingly provide the conditions South Korea and the US would deem sufficient for engaging in further talks.

Although the US president did not elaborate on the conditions for talks, the current and previous US administrations have repeatedly stated that complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is their ultimate goal.

In addition, with Trump having vocally criticized his predecessors and past South Korean administrations for failing to denuclearize North Korea, he is unlikely to engage in talks without solid evidence to suggest that the outcome will be different.

In giving the green light on Jan. 4 to the postponing of joint military drills for the duration of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, Trump stressed the need for “maximum pressure” and to avoid past mistakes in dealing with the North.

North Korea, for its part, has its own conditions and demands.

Pyongyang has long claimed that its nuclear weapons are nonnegotiable deterrence against an attack by the US.

One of the conditions demanded by Pyongyang -- one Seoul and Washington have shown no intention of accepting -- is ending joint military exercises between the allies.

On Thursday, North Korea once again accused Seoul of destabilizing the situation on the peninsula.

“If South Korea truly wants easing of tension and peace on the Korean Peninsula, military actions conducted with foreign powers must be stopped,” said Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party.

The newspaper also claimed that South Korea-US military exercises and Seoul’s drive to strengthen military capabilities are the main causes of military tension and make the situation on the peninsula “dangerous and unpredictable.”

The paper also directly contradicted Moon’s statement from Wednesday, saying that the continued military standoff would lead to a “vicious cycle of confrontation.”

At Wednesday’s press conference, Moon said that talks for improving inter-Korean relations would help to create conditions for denuclearization, which would in turn lead to better relations, creating a cycle of positive feedback.

North Korea is also unlikely to accept denuclearization.

Ri Son-gwon, who headed the North Korean delegation in Tuesday’s talks, expressed strong discontent at the mention of denuclearization. Ri is the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country of North Korea.

At the end of the talks, Ri said that talk of denuclearization would have negative effects on inter-Korean relations, claiming that Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons were not an “issue between the Koreas.” He also said that his country’s missile and nuclear programs are aimed solely at the US.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)