S Korea wants talks with North to start soon
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea leaped yesterday at an offer of talks from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics, betting that tensions between the two countries can be eased after more than a year of insults, military drills, missile launches and nuclear tests.
A top South Korean official suggested that the two sides meet as early as next week.
Experts warned that North Korea was most likely borrowing from a well-worn playbook, hoping to win relief from sanctions and buy time to improve its nuclear programme without offering any real concessions.
In a New Year’s Day speech, Kim said he wanted to ease tensions with the South and was willing to send a delegation to the Olympics, and suggested that the two sides meet to discuss the idea.
Cho Myoung-gyon, Seoul’s unification minister, responded in a televised news conference yesterday with an offer to meet as soon as January 9 at the shared border village of Panmunjom to discuss cooperation over the Olympics and how to improve overall ties.
Talks, if they took place, would be the first government-level discussions between the two Koreas in more than two years.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in favours dialogue to reduce tensions with Pyongyang and sees the Olympics, which will begin on February 9, as a ‘‘groundbreaking chance’’ to improve ties and achieve peace.
While Moon welcomed Kim’s address, he stressed that Seoul would have to coordinate the next steps with its allies.
US officials said they doubted Kim’s sincerity but declared that Washington would not stand in the way of talks.
‘‘Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time,’’ US President Donald Trump tweeted, referring to Kim. ‘‘Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not – we will see!’’
‘‘Kim Jong-un may be trying to drive a wedge of some sort between the two nations, between our nation and the Republic of Korea. I can assure you that that will not happen,’’ US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
China’s Foreign Ministry welcomed what it called ‘‘positive steps’’ by both sides and said it hoped they would ‘‘take advantage of this opportunity‘‘.
But a sticking point has been a planned South Korean-US joint military exercise, which North Korea sees as preparation for war. Moon has asked Washington for a postponement until after the Olympics, but no agreement has been reached.