South Korean special envoys continue tour to brief foreign leaders of China, Russia, and Japan

Posted on : 2018-03-12 17:26 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Chung Eui-yong and Suh Hoon will travel to neighboring countries to provide updates on the Korean Peninsula political situation
President Moon Jae-in listens to Blue House National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong describe the results of his visit to the US to meet President Donald Trump along with National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon (right) at a meeting room in the Blue House on Mar. 11. (provided by Blue House)
President Moon Jae-in listens to Blue House National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong describe the results of his visit to the US to meet President Donald Trump along with National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon (right) at a meeting room in the Blue House on Mar. 11. (provided by Blue House)

After returning from a visit to the US on Mar. 11, Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon will be departing once again on Mar. 12 on separate trips to China, Russia and Japan. Chung and Suh will be giving these countries a detailed explanation of their visits to North Korea and the US and asking for their support in bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula.

The two envoys are expected to emphasize that peace on the peninsula is in these countries’ interests in the hope of reassuring China, which welcomes the rapid improvement in North Korea’s relations with the South and with the US but is concerned about forfeiting its leadership on the Korean Peninsula, as well as Japan, which is suspicious of North Korea’s motivations and is concerned about being sidelined in Northeast Asian affairs.

“Thanks to public support, we have managed to set up an inter-Korean summit at the end of April and should be able to set up a North Korea-US summit as well. We will be devoting all our attention, both diplomatically and practically, to ensure that the two upcoming summits are successful and accomplish a great deal,” Chung said during a meeting with reporters at Incheon International Airport immediately after returning to the country.

“I would like to pay tribute to President Moon and President Trump for their determination to achieve the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula sooner than expected and using that to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, as well for their bold decisions. I also want to praise the courageous decision made by North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un,” Chung said. After returning to South Korea, Chung and Suh headed to the Blue House, where they briefed Moon Jae-in on the outcome of their visit to the US, including their meeting with Trump.

The campaign to persuade Korea’s powerful neighbors will commence on Mar. 12. After visiting China on Mar. 12 and 13, Chung will head straight to Russia, where he will stay until Mar. 15. Meanwhile, Suh will be embarking on a two-day trip to Japan on Mar. 12 with Nam Gwan-pyo, second deputy director of the Blue House’s National Security Office. While in China, Chung is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and ask for his assistance while explaining that North Korean dialogue with the South and with the US are largely consistent with China’s proposal of the “freeze-for-free” of North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile development and South Korea and the US’s joint military exercises.

Chung also plans to report on the “dual progress” being made on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and North Korea-US peace talks. Xi has made time to meet Chung even though plenary meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, some of China’s most important political events, are currently underway.

Chung is also expected to try to ease China’s concerns about being ignored on Korean Peninsula issues, considering that North Korea-US dialogue is moving forward while North Korea-China relations are at a historical low. “We will be expressing our gratitude to China for its proposals for the ‘freeze-for-free’ and ‘dual progress,’ which helped set the stage for dialogue, and emphasizing the role that China can play,” a Blue House official said. Chung and his team are also likely to meet Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During Chung’s subsequent trip to Russia, he will reportedly make the case that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will help the Eastern Economic Policy being promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Efforts are still underway to arrange a meeting with Putin.

“Russia is apparently considering how it would look for Putin to meet a special delegation from South Korea before the presidential election on Mar. 18,” a senior Blue House official said.

While in Japan, Suh and his team are expected to emphasize to Abe that Kim Jong-un’s promise to suspend nuclear weapon and missile provocations benefits Japan as well and to ask for Japan’s cooperation as an ally. “I think they will suggest that Japan let go of its doubts about North Korea’s sincerity and work together to bring peace to Northeast Asia,” the official said.

On Mar. 8, Abe said that he “wanted to hear personally from the people who were in the meeting with Kim Jong-un about what was not included in the South Korean government’s announcement.” Moon is also considering the option of personally calling the leaders of the US, China, Japan and Russia, the official added.

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

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