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Five sets of the remains of US MIA/POW from the Korean War were repatriated to the US via UN soldiers at Panmunjeom in Oct. 1998 (Lee Jung-woo

North Korea’s proposal to hold general-level talks with the UN Command (UNC) while failing to show up for scheduled working-level talks with the US at Panmunjeom on July 12 for the repatriation of US POW/MIA remains are raising questions about its motives. While Pyongyang specified the UNC as its counterpart in the general-level talks, its actual aims can be seen as having to do with dialogue with the US.

To begin with, the North’s proposal can be seen as an attempt to raise the echelon of dialogue to allow for the discussion of implementation of the joint statement agreed upon at the North Korea-US summit in Singapore in addition to working-level talks on repatriating US soldier remains. It could be read as signaling its emphasis on making progress on all areas agreed upon at the summit, including discussions on establishing new North Korea-US relations, building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and complete denuclearization.

According to numerous diplomatic sources, on July 12 the North Koreans (DPRK KPA representative in Panmunjeom) proposed reconnecting a direct communications line with the United Nations Command (UNC). After relaying this message to the UNC, they requested technical support through the South Korean liaison office in Panmunjeom.

The line connects the UNC official on duty on the South side of Panmunjeom to Unification House (Tongilgak) on the North Korean side. It was disconnected by North Korea in 2013 after they declared the nullification of the Korean Armistice Agreement. However, it was not disconnected in the physical sense; North Korea simply refused to respond, meaning it's a de facto disconnection. As the UNC acts in the stead of US Forces Korea (USFK) Command, a direct line between DPRK Panmunjeom offices and the UNC actually amounts to a North Korea-US hotline. Sources say that as soon as the hotline was reconnected, the North purportedly relayed a message saying, "Due to insufficient preparations, we cannot partake in the repatriation of US POW/MIA remains. We wish to raise the echelon of the talks and propose high-level military talks on July 15."

Pyongyang and Washington showed differences on the statement’s implementation in recent high-level talks between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Workers’ Party of Korea vice chairman Kim Yong-chol. In a Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement issued on the evening of July 7 just after Pompeo left Pyongyang, North Korea voiced dismay over what it called the US’s unilateral demands for denuclearization. The remarks were read as expressing its disappointment over the discussions not including other matters to be discussed with the US besides denuclearization.

The working-level talks scheduled for July 12 were announced by Pompeo on July 7 when he shared his follow-up schedule with reporters after a visit to North Korea. At the time, Pompeo said discussions would be taking place between officials in charge of repatriation of POW/MIA remains, with the meeting to take place on or about July 12 at Panmunjeom. While he mentioned the possibility of the date varying by a day or two, it was believed the talks were on for July 12 after US Forces Korea officials were confirmed to have departed for Panmunjeom that morning.

North Korea’s no-show to the talks that day prompted analyses over its possible aims. Its decision could have different ramifications for North Korea-US relations if it was based on a miscommunication or lack of discussions or if Pyongyang intended it as an attempt to pressure the US.

The repatriation of US POW/MIA remains is both a humanitarian issue and one of US President Donald Trump’s agenda areas. If Washington does conclude that Pyongyang is exploiting the issue for political ends, the negative effects could extend to bilateral relations as a whole.

Pyongyang’s proposal suggests that it too senses the burden. After Pompeo’s North Korea visit, a key Blue House official observed that Pyongyang and Washington were in a “wrestling match” over implementation of the joint statement. A diplomat familiar with the North Korea-US negotiation process said Pyongyang “appears to have sent the signal that it wants to quickly break through the stalemate of sorts that has taken shape over the joint statement’s implementation.”

With the recovery of a North Korean KPA-UNC (USFK) hotline, Panmunjeom has once again emerged as a channel of dialogue between North Korea and the US. As sanctions on North Korean have yet to be relaxed and it's difficult for US officials to freely visit North Korea and vice versa, Panmunjeom is a place that serves as a mediation zone where the two sides can easily meet. If North Korea-US communication lines are reconnected, calls can be made at any time to set up appointments and meet.

By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer

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