9월 한반도 분수령... 대북특사단, 돌파구 마련할까? - 김현욱 교수 대담
For more, we have with us Professor Kim Hyun-wook from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Thank you for coming in today.
Pleasure to be here.
1 - The Moon administration is sending Chung Eui-yong and a delegation back to Pyongyang again. One of the main agendas will be confirming and setting an exact date for the summit between President Moon and Kim Jong-un. But sending a special envoy like this... Does this suggest that there is still a lot to discuss before the summit, some things that could not have been done by regular working-level talks or high-level talks at Panmunjom?
2 - South Korea's presidential office is meant to have sent the request to send a special envoy on Friday morning, and by the afternoon it had been accepted and announced. Can this quick agreement for talks be considered a good sign, especially as U.S.-North Korea talks have hit a wall recently?
3 - The South Korean delegation going to Pyongyang is the same as the one that went in March. But the schedule is a bit different. Last time they stayed overnight, but this time they are returning on the same day. Is there anything we can read from that?
4 - Also the delegation last time met with Kim Jong-un. The Blue House has declined to say whether they will be meeting with Kim again, but do you think they will? And what will it signal if they don't?
4a - Can we expect a personal letter from President Moon to Kim as well? And vice versa?
5 - This is the first major diplomatic engagement with North Korea since President Trump cancelled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang last month. How important is this visit towards negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. as well?
6 - Inter-Korean relations are also on the line. There have been snags on making progress towards a joint liaison office and surveys on connecting railways, which were both part of the Panmjunjom declaration. What kind of progress do you think they can make on these issues, or are the U.S.-North Korea negotiations the ones that take precedence?
7 - Last time Chung Eui-yong went to Pyongyang, he visited Washington right afterwards, where of course, the landmark announcement was made, that Trump had agreed to meet with Kim Jong-un. Do you think Kim will take this opportunity to send another message to Trump as well?
8 - The U.S. in the past has said the denuclearization of North Korea remains the priority, ahead of anything else. What do you think they will make of this trip?
9 - Previous reports have said Chinese President Xi Jinping will be making his way to Pyongyang to attend the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the North Korean regime's foundation. It has not been confirmed yet, but how do you think that potential visit will affect Chung's message to Pyongyang during his trip?
