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South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (left), US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (center), and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose for a photograph before their trilateral meeting in Palo Alto, California, on Jan. 14. (Yonhap News)

Amid a continuing impasse in North Korea-US dialogue, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stressed the need to restore inter-Korean dialogue, remarking that South and North Korea could “step out on their own [. . .] at a certain point.” This clarifies Seoul’s plan to go about improving inter-Korean relations without subordinating them to North Korea-US dialogue, a plan that South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed in his New Year’s address and press conference.

Kang spoke to reporters following a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with a trilateral meeting that included Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, at Palo Alto, near San Francisco, on Jan. 14. “In the big picture, our basic position is that North Korea-US dialogue and inter-Korean dialogue should form a virtuous cycle in which they complement each other. I think that, at a certain point, North Korea-US negotiations or inter-Korean dialogue could develop separately.”

“In a situation in which North Korea-US dialogue is not progressing, it’s important for South and North Korea to preserve the momentum for engagement by holding dialogue where possible,” Kang said.

“I think that some parts of the important agreements reached by South and North Korea aren’t restricted by the sanctions, while other projects would have to be exempted. I shared a number of opinions about such matters with Secretary Pompeo, and the US has a full understanding of our hopes and wishes,” she said. In short, Kang confirmed, she has conveyed the South Korean government’s intention to push forward North Korea-US relations by advancing inter-Korean relations and that the US had expressed its “understanding.”

In connection with this, a senior official at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that implementing “individual tourism” to North Korea, as South Korean President Moon Jae-in mentioned in his New Year’s press conference, would require consideration of several circumstances, but that “in theory, sanctions don’t pose a problem for individual tourism.”

“This was sparked by the idea that, while many countries allow individual tourism to North Korea, South Korean citizens apparently aren’t able to go there because of self-imposed restrictions.”

During Kang and Pompeo’s meeting on Tuesday, the US appears to have asked South Korea to send military forces to join a coalition organized to defend the Strait of Hormuz. Pompeo reportedly told Kang about the situation between the US and Iran and emphasized the need for every country to make a joint effort to help stabilize the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East region.

“The basic position of the US is that all countries that have a major economic stake in the Strait of Hormuz should make a contribution. Since South Korea also depends on the region for 70% of its crude oil imports, the US thinks, we ought to be interested in contributing as well,” Kang said.

“The question of what decision we should make will continue to be discussed at the National Security Council.”

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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