강경화 "굿 딜은 북미가 합의한 딜…北 포괄적 안목 가져야"
Two months after the no-deal Hanoi summit, Pyeongyang and Washington remain at odds over denuclearization approach.
Against such backdrop, Seoul’s foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha has said there are behind-the-scenes efforts being made to resume the talks... and called on North Korea to see the issue in a broader scope.
Our Lee Ji-won for us tonight.
South Korea's foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha says, the U.S. agrees with Seoul on a comprehensive deal, with steps to be taken in tandem,... and that North Korea should take the next step.
She was speaking Thursday in her quarterly press briefing.
"South Korea and the U.S. share the view that there should be a comprehensive approach, involving a step-by-step approach and parallel implementation. This is the "good deal" that everyone wants."
But to break the current impasse, Minister Kang said North needs to look at the matter more broadly.
Despite the rhetoric from Pyeongyang and Washington, which the minister called a "pressure strategy," Kang said Seoul's role as a facilitator is not diminished but enhanced.
"North Korea and the U.S. certainly want to resume the talks. Their leaders' determination is certain. Our role becomes all the more important, because this determination needs to take the form of actual talks."
To make that happen, Kang said, Washington's special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, will visit Seoul for a working-level meeting,... reportedly next week.
South Korean media say the meeting will most likely address the South Korean government's humanitarian aid to the North worth around 8 million U.S. dollars.
That aid has been held up since 2017 because, with the North's provocations, the international community wasn't able to find a good time to send it.
But in any case, the aid is something Minister Kang said should be supported by the international community.
However, Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said no food aid to the North is being considered at the moment.
As for ties between South Korea and Japan, which are now frostier than ever, Minister Kang said the ministries in Seoul are keeping up to date with the Korean court rulings on Japan's use of forced labor during World War Two.
"Seoul and Tokyo could have a chance to mend their ties at the end of June when the G20 countries hold their summit in Osaka.
Minister Kang said Seoul is considering whether or not to join, and in the meantime will look for other ways to make progress too.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News."
