'North Korea's Signal to Resume Talks', Will the Inter-Korean Dialogue Table Return?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Attention is focused on whether North and South Korea can return to the dialogue table as North Korea sends signals to resume talks.

The United States has also expressed support for inter-Korean dialogue, and it is expected that the South Korean government and the Joe Biden administration will hold close consultations on the Korean Peninsula issue soon.

According to diplomatic sources on the 26th, the possibility of resuming inter-Korean talks has increased as Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, stated that discussions on inter-Korean summits and a declaration to end the war could take place.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 25th, Kim Yo-jong said in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency, “I felt that the atmosphere among various sectors in South Korea to quickly restore the strained inter-Korean relations and achieve peaceful stability was so strong that it could not be stopped,” adding, “Our wishes are no different.”

This implies that North Korea has shown a willingness to improve relations on the premise of the possibility of inter-Korean dialogue.

Although she described it as a 'personal view,' since she is the sister of Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, and oversees external and inter-Korean affairs, it is interpreted as reflecting the intentions of the top leader.

Experts believe that Kim Yo-jong’s successive statements indicate that if the South creates a justification and proposes dialogue, North Korea might respond positively.

Furthermore, there is an interpretation that this is North Korea’s strategy to engage in dialogue and negotiations with the Biden administration through improving inter-Korean relations, as the Biden administration places importance on cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. on North Korean issues.

The Biden administration has maintained a stance supporting inter-Korean dialogue. The joint statement from the May South Korea-U.S. summit included the phrase, “President Biden expressed support for inter-Korean dialogue, engagement, and cooperation.”

In this context, it is speculated that North Korea may have judged that cooperation with the South Korean government is inevitable to influence the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department stated regarding Kim Yo-jong’s statement mentioning the possibility of an inter-Korean summit, “The United States supports inter-Korean dialogue, engagement, and cooperation.”