청 "Kim Yo-jong's Statement Under Careful Analysis... More Active Willingness for Dialogue Compared to the Past"

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Park Soo-hyun, Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House, stated that he is carefully analyzing the statement by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, and evaluated it as "showing a more proactive willingness for dialogue than in the past."

On the 27th, Park appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "The ball (the declaration of the end of the war) launched by President Moon Jae-in is showing sufficient momentum, and I have hopes that it can lead to good results."

Regarding Kim Yo-jong's statement, Park said, "This issue should be interpreted in a way that maintains a positive atmosphere, but at the same time, it must be analyzed carefully." He added that the restoration of communication lines and the resumption of talks at various levels can be anticipated at this stage.

He showed a cautious attitude about the possibility of a South-North Korea summit taking place during President Moon's term.

Park said, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula involves not only the improvement of inter-Korean relations but also the denuclearization negotiations, which is a separate track involving North Korea and the United States. These two tracks are not separate but are ultimately very connected," adding, "Rather than mentioning a summit outright, we are observing the situation carefully and thoroughly." This implies that for a summit to occur, there must be a definite agenda related to denuclearization, which can be advanced through North Korea-US talks.

He continued, "To properly bring this issue to a summit, we must proceed with the mindset of carefully placing each stepping stone," adding, "Instead of reacting with excessive enthusiasm or despair, a cautious approach to firmly laying each stepping stone will ultimately be the faster path."

He also suggested the possibility that China might help advance inter-Korean dialogue and the declaration of the end of the war. Park said, "As far as I know, China also has a positive response to this (declaration of the end of the war)," and when asked about communication with the Blue House, he replied, "We regularly have such conversations, exchanges, and communications."