강경화 "70년 적대 북미, 비핵화-상응조치 매칭에 융통성 필요"
South Korea's top diplomat pointed out... the U.S. should take a "non-conventional" approach to denuclearizing North Korea.
Kang Kyung-wha also explained, Seoul is helping the two sides find appropriate corresponding measures for each other, but emphasized it's up to Pyeongyang and Washington to make the decisions.
Lee Ji-won shares with us the foreign minister's remarks.
South Korea's foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, says the decades-old animosity between North Korea and the United States is why Pyeongyang's denuclearization requires an approach different from the conventional "declaration and inspection first."
"After 70 years of distrust with the U.S.,... denuclearizing North Korea is much harder than Ukraine, South Africa or Kazhakstan, which quickly gave up their nukes and allowed inspections by the IAEA. This is why the North's denuclearization must be carried out together with trust-building measures, as stipulated in the Sentosa Joint Declaration."
Minister Kang made the comments at her quarterly press conference on Thursday... when asked why South Korea thinks a different approach is needed.
She had told the Washington Post in an interview published Wednesday that the U.S. should hold off on demanding a nuclear inventory from the North.
In the interview, she noted that past denuclearization talks with the North broke down after a list was submitted... when the parties were discussing verification.
She told reporters on Thursday that inspection IS crucial, but the U.S. and North Korea can negotiate WHEN it should take place.
Washington might not be 100-percent on the same page as Seoul, she said, but the U.S. too is considering those different approaches.
As for what might constitute the kind of "corresponding measure" Pyeongyang wants in exchange for dismantling its Yeongbyeon nuclear site, Kang noted that a declaration ending the Korean War has been mentioned numerous times.
But she added that South Korea is proposing all kinds of possibilities to both sides.
She did not, however, specify whether those options include reopening the Gaeseong industrial complex or the Mt. Geumgang tourism project, as a South Korean media report had suggested.
Minister Kang did reiterate, though, that nothing will happen on that front unless there is a change in the sanctions.
"Minister Kang expects North Korea and the U.S. will reach a more concrete agreement during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's fourth visit to Pyeongyang later this week. She also said it's a positive sign that the visit is happening soon after it was announced and that she will be able to get the details from Secretary Pompeo immediately afterwards. Lee Ji-won, Arirang News."
