President Moon open to sending Special Envoy to North Korea

Posted on : 2017-08-18 18:18 KST Modified on : 2017-08-18 18:18 KST
But stresses conditions “must be appropriate” before the possibility can be seriously considered
President Moon Jae-in smiles as he listens to a reporter’s question at a press conference in the Blue House reception room on Aug. 17.  (Yonhap News)
President Moon Jae-in smiles as he listens to a reporter’s question at a press conference in the Blue House reception room on Aug. 17. (Yonhap News)

President Moon announced on August 17 that he would consider sending a special envoy to North Korea if the conditions were right for dialogue. The comment came in response to a question at a press conference held in the Blue House reception hall to commemorate the 100th day of his presidency when a journalist asked about the possibility of sending an envoy to resume inter-Korean dialogue with the North, which is currently cut off.

Although President Moon acknowledged the possibility, he stressed that the appropriate ‘conditions for dialogue’ must be in place. “There is no point in dialogue for dialogue’s sake,” he stated. “The conditions must be appropriate, and there needs to be some kind of collateral action to ensure a fruitful outcome. At the very least, North Korea would have to agree to refrain from engaging in any further provocations.” The president went on to say “If the conditions become appropriate, and it was decided that dialogue under those conditions would help to improve inter-Korean relations or resolve the nuclear issue, I would be willing to consider sending a special envoy to the North.”

The fact that President Moon agrees with the need for dialogue while also tacking on the condition of ‘no more provocations’ shows that although he supports the current situation where the international community, led by the US, is imposing sanctions and ramping up pressure on the North Korean regime, he also believes that bringing the North to the negotiating table is the best option. “We need to resume inter-Korean talks, but there is no need to rush,” he stated. “It could take a lot of time and effort to open up the channels of communication that have been closed for the last decade.” Indeed, it could take a substantial length of time to rebuild inter-Korean relations, which reached rock-bottom during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. President Moon’s comments suggest that he believes a resumption in dialogue must be based on the premise of delivering results.

By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter 

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

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