hankyoreh

April 22.

The Lee Myung-bak administration is currently deciding its follow up to the meeting with North Korean officials in Kaesong on April 21. On April 22, a key Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) official said that while the administration is still analyzing Pyongyang’s intentions, “we think it is not trying to break the game board, and whatever else could be true, we think dialogue has been set in motion.”

“Not being dragged around by North Korea is a key principle of our administration,” said the official. “However, a hard line stance is not always best, so we are going to be more resilient,” the official said.

The government disclosed that during the April 21 meeting North Korea said it will “wholly reconsider all preferential measures” granted to South Korea when the Kaesong (Gaeseong) Industrial Complex was established, and that was where it wanted to begin negotiations.

Unification Minister Hyun In-taek told the National Assembly’s committee on foreign affairs, trade and unifications that the administration will “prudently consider” North Korea’s demands to renegotiate contracts “after consulting with Hyundai Asan and companies with facilities located in the industrial complex.” Analysts are interpreting Hyun’s statement as meaning the administration will at the very least not reject North Korea’s proposal to engage in dialogue.

The administration is also considering taking the matter of North Korea’s refusal to grant access to a Hyundai Asan employee who has been held in detention since March 30 before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Analysts speculate that the decision to support dialogue may mean indefinite delays in the government’s announcement of South Korea’s full participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).

“This is not something to get all excited about,” said a high-ranking another Cheong Wa Dae official, adding the administration proceed with caution regarding its next steps on PSI.

Meanwhile on April 21, U.S. State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said that while he had not yet read reports about the meeting in Kaesong, the U.S. has always said it wants to see inter-Korean dialogue and that he hopes future meetings will produce results.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]