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Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong responds to reporters’ questions after meeting with Minjoo Party floor leader Woo Won-shik and other party leaders

The top national security officials in South Korea, the US and Japan expressed their agreement that dialogue with North Korea is possible under the right conditions and that the international community, under the lead of these three countries, should keep working to apply sanctions and pressure on the North to bring it to the negotiating table.

“National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong held a video conference with White House National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster and Japanese National Security Council Secretary-General Shotaro Yachi and discussed ways for the three countries to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations,” said Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Communication Yun Young-chan on the evening of Aug. 3. This was the first time that the top national security advisors to the leaders of the three countries discussed urgent security issues together over video conference.

During the video conference, which began at 9 pm and lasted for one hour and 10 minutes, the three security officials “reconfirmed that North Korea’s missile launches represent a serious challenge and threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia but also to the peace and stability of the entire world and agreed to strengthen pressure as much as possible through UN Security Council resolutions to deter additional North Korean provocations,” Yun Young-chan said. During the meeting, Chung reportedly emphasized “the need to make clear that the ultimate goal of maximum pressure and sanctions is to bring North Korea to the negotiating table and make sure that tensions on the Korean Peninsula are not raised needlessly.”

“The security officials also agreed that the three countries would continue working together closely in the future on North Korean nuclear weapons and missile issues,” Yun added. The focus on close trilateral cooperation is an apparent attempt to downplay the controversy over “Korea passing,” or the claim that South Korea is being excluded from the discussion of Korean Peninsula issues amid speculation about a military strike or a grand bargain between the US and China to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile issue following North Korean missile provocations.

On Aug. 5, the UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution drafted by the US that would ban North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood (oil was not included due to opposition from China and Russia). It would also prevent countries from employing more North Korean laborers and prohibit countries from entering into new economic ventures with North Korea. The goal of the resolution is to cut off North Korea’s export income after its launches of ICBMs. To pass, it will need nine votes in favour and no vetoes.

By Lee Jung-ae, staff reporter

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