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A high-level North Korean delegation led by Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium Kim Yong-nam will visit South Korea from Feb. 9-11 and attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics. Kim is shown attending the 60th anniversary of the Asia Africa Conference in Jakarta in April 2015.

A North Korean delegation of around 20 members to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Feb. 9 has been finalized, with Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium presented Kim Yong-nam as leader. With the announcement coming on the heels of similar delegation decisions by the US and Japan, attention is now turning to the members’ plans during their South Korea visit. The Blue House, White House, and Prime Minister’s Office of Japan already appear to be working to shape the agenda and climate of the approaching “Pyeongchang meetings,” availing themselves of opportunities to actively state their positions.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is working to carry inter-Korean dialogue for the Pyeongchang Olympics forward into dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. Soon after the North Korean delegation was finalized, a senior Blue House official said on the evening of Feb. 4 that Kim Yong-nam was “a head of state in any event,” adding that Seoul “applauds North Korea showing a maximum of good faith.”

Another official said, “With the Pyeongchang Olympics providing a valuable opportunity that cannot be missed, we look forward to establishing momentum for resolving tensions around the Korean Peninsula and laying the groundwork to begin dialogue between North Korea and the US.”

In a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on the evening of Feb. 2, Moon said he hoped the “momentum from improvements to inter-Korean dialogue with the Pyeongchang Olympics is carried forward and contributes to establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.” The message was one of hope that the inter-Korean dialogue might lead to dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, helping to achieve a resolution with the North Korean nuclear issue. In response, Trump expressed hopes for the success and security of the Olympics and said he was “100 percent with South Korea.”

While the Trump administration has avoided making directly negative comments on the inter-Korean dialogue, it has also raised the issue of North Korean human rights and clearly indicated that it plans to continue applying pressure against the North. Describing the Feb. 2 conversation between the two leaders, a White House official they had “discussed the importance of improving the human rights situation in North Korea and underscored their commitment to work together on this issue.”

The interpretation, which was not present in the Blue House’s explanation, appeared intended to play up the aspects that interest the Trump administration. Of Trump’s conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb. 2, the White House said the two leaders had “agreed on the need to intensify the international maximum pressure campaign to denuclearize North Korea.”

Meeting in the White House with Ji Seong-ho and seven other North Korean defectors, Trump said he had “just had a phone call with the President of South Korea, President Moon, and they [South and North Korea] are in dialogue, at least as it concerns the Olympics. And that’s a good thing.”

“It’s a very tricky situation,” Trump added. “We think the Olympics will go very nicely. And after that, who knows.”

Speaking at an event on “America first” policy in Pittsburgh on Feb. 2, US Vice President Mike Pence – who is scheduled to attend the Pyeongchang Olympics opening ceremony – said he planned to communicate the clear message that the “era of strategic patience is over.”

Pence added that the US plans to continue applying all forms of economic and diplomatic pressure until North Korean totally and permanently abandons its nuclear and missile programs.

The US reportedly made a request to extend consideration so that no uncomfortable situations occur with the North Korean delegation at Moon’s reception ahead of the Pyeongchang Olympics opening ceremony.

Abe has also been calling for stronger pressure against Pyongyang. The Japanese Prime Minister plans to meet with Pence when the latter stops in Japan on Feb. 7 ahead of his South Korea visit. In a Feb. 4 report, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said the two countries had begun final coordination for the release of a joint document at the talks outlining plans to continue ratcheting up pressure on the North and strengthening solidarity with South Korea.

The document will take a form that counters the South Korean government’s emphasis on inter-Korean dialogue, the newspaper predicted. The Sankei Shimbun newspaper also reported that Abe plans to ask Moon to carrying out joint military exercises with the US soon after the Pyeongchang Olympics ceremony when the two meet for a summit on Feb. 9.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer, Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter and Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

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