북한 신경전 시작, 폼페이오 방북은 언제? - 김현욱 교수 대담
To discuss further on this issue, 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 North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho has now gone back to North Korea, after spending a week in New York where he attended the UN General Assembly and held meetings with his counterparts from the U.S., China and Russia, among others. How would you rate his time in the U.S.? What were his aims and did he achieve them?
2 - Ri met with Pompeo in New York. Pompeo has said he will visit Pyeongyang some time this month, but it's been a few days and there's no still word. Some are even suggesting that there is another standstill. Should we be concerned or do we have to be patient?
3 - After the latest inter-Korean summit, Pompeo announced that he would meet Ri in New York, but he also said they were working on getting U.S. special envoy Steve Biegun to meet with North Korean representatives very soon in Vienna. There are some reports that say the U.S. is demanding these talks take place first before Pompeo goes to North Korea, but that North Korea is demanding the reverse. What do you think Professor? Do you think we will see the Vienna talks take place any time soon? And what would they talk about?
4 - North Korean state media also issued a commentary on Tuesday. It was a rather curious rebuke on the supposed North Korea experts who suggested that North Korea is demanding from the U.S. the declaration to end the Korean War in exchange for denuclearization. It stated that a declaration is not a bargaining chip as it was something that should have been settled a long time ago, even going so far as to say that if the U.S. doesn't want it, North Korea doesn't either. It seems almost childish in its response. How do you interpret this response?
5 - On Thursday, South and North Korea will celebrate the 11th anniversary of the 2007 inter-Korean summit, and the declaration that was signed there, with a joint-event held in North Korea. South Korea is sending a delegation of some 150 people, with about 20 government officials as well. Why have the two Koreas agreed to do this and how is this significant?
