[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea at the State Department, will visit South Korea on the 23rd for consultations between the chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and the U.S. Originally scheduled to arrive on the 22nd, his arrival was postponed by one day for undisclosed reasons. As Kim is likely to engage in advanced discussions regarding former President Moon Jae-in's proposal for a declaration to formally end the Korean War during this visit, attention is also focused on whether the recent series of North Korean missile provocations will become a variable.
On the day after his arrival, the 24th, Kim will meet with Noh Kyu-duk, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, to discuss key issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue. This meeting comes five days after their last gathering on the 18th (local time) in Washington, D.C., and it is being closely watched whether progress will be made in discussions related to the declaration to formally end the war. Based on the consultations with Director General Noh, Kim may directly meet with President Moon.
The South Korean government views the declaration to formally end the war as an opportunity to resume trilateral talks among South Korea, North Korea, and the U.S., and has been persuading the U.S. through consultations at various levels. In previous talks, Kim and Director General Noh devoted considerable time to discussing the declaration issue, and Kim expressed that he "looks forward to continuing discussions on the declaration." The U.S. side is conducting an internal review of the potential impact of the declaration, and Kim may convey the results of this review to President Moon during this visit.
Regarding North Korea's launch of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on the 19th, discussions between the two countries are expected to cover North Korea's intentions and the potential impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, subtle differences in stance between South Korea and the U.S. concerning North Korea's insistence on the SLBM launch have been detected, raising attention to whether this will affect the discussions. While the U.S. promptly condemned North Korea's missile launch, South Korea expressed regret only through the Standing Committee of the National Security Council (NSC), and during the National Assembly's inspection held the previous day, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook stated that it was "not a provocation," which sparked controversy.
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