Government: "Cannot Rule Out Possibility of North Korea-U.S. Summit at October APEC"... Dismisses Rumors of Split Between Pro-Alliance and Pro-Autonomy Factions

Direct Rebuttal to Jeong Sehyun's Criticism the Previous Day

On September 26 (local time), the government stated that it cannot completely rule out the possibility of a resumption of summit diplomacy between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju at the end of October. The government also denied rumors of a split between the so-called pro-alliance and pro-autonomy factions within the Lee Jaemyung administration, emphasizing that the current administration pursues pragmatic diplomacy as a "pragmatic faction."

A senior government official, meeting with Korean correspondents in New York on this day, commented on the possibility of renewed dialogue between the leaders of North Korea and the United States during the APEC summit, saying, "It is difficult to say definitively at this point, but we cannot rule out the possibility," and added, "It is something that could happen, and we will be watching with that possibility in mind."

President Trump, during his first term in office, made a surprise visit to South Korea immediately after the 2019 Group of 20 (G20) summit in Japan and met Chairman Kim at Panmunjom. This statement is interpreted as suggesting that, considering such a precedent, a similar North Korea-U.S. summit could be resumed.

Notably, since Chairman Kim recently indicated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States on the premise of abandoning denuclearization, some analysts believe the government's assessment has also shifted. In fact, just a month ago at the end of August, Wi Sunglak, Director of National Security at the Presidential Office, expressed skepticism about the possibility of renewed North Korea-U.S. talks in a radio interview, saying, "It is constructive not to set expectations too high."

Chairman Kim also stated in his speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on the 21st, "I have good memories of President Trump," and added, "If the United States abandons its obsession with denuclearization and acknowledges reality, wishing for peaceful coexistence with us, then there is no reason we cannot stand face to face with the United States."

Additionally, the senior government official refuted former Unification Minister Jeong Sehyun's claim that President Lee Jaemyung's diplomatic and security team is centered on the pro-alliance faction and needs personnel reform, stating, "It is not true that the government is divided into pro-alliance and pro-autonomy factions." The pro-autonomy faction refers to a group within the administration that prioritizes inter-Korean cooperation, while the pro-alliance faction values the South Korea-U.S. alliance. In the current administration, Lee Jongseok, Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, are considered part of the pro-autonomy faction, while Wi Sunglak, Director of National Security and a former diplomat, and Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, are seen as pro-alliance. The official emphasized, "Both the President and all participants in the National Security Council (NSC) aim for pragmatic diplomacy as the pragmatic faction," refuting rumors of division within the government.