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A view of the Blue House (Hankyoreh archives)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may pay a reciprocal visit to the South Korea within the year as agreed upon by the two sides’ leaders in their Pyongyang Joint Declaration last September, the Blue House suggested on Nov. 1.

“We see [Kim’s South Korea visit] as proceeding without issues,” a Blue House senior official said in a meeting with reporters that day, adding that the two sides would “continue our discussions.”

“The timeline for Chairman Kim’s reciprocal visit is open. While there may be some variability as the situation progresses, we’re definitely looking at a reciprocal visit in the short term,” the official added.

“We look forward to Chairman Kim visiting within the year,” the official said.

When asked about a possible connection to the schedule for a second North Korea-US summit, the official replied, “I don’t see it as necessarily being greatly tied to that [summit].” The message appeared to suggest the two sides would be pursuing a Seoul visit by Kim within 2018 without being greatly affected by the schedule for the second North Korea-US summit.

The ideal Korean Peninsula peace process envisioned in the past by the Blue House involved a second North Korea-US summit followed by a trilateral declaration ending the Korean War and a reciprocal South Korea visit by Kim. This was based on the need for progress in North Korea-US negotiations – which have involved a tug-of-war over denuclearization and North Korean regime security guarantees – to broaden the scope of dialogue for the South and North Korean leaders.

Amid the growing likelihood that the second North Korea-US summit will have to wait until early next year, some have speculated the timelines for the end-of-war declaration and Kim’s reciprocal visit would also be postponed in turn. With its latest announcement, the Blue House raised the possibility of a visit being pursued independently. Analysts predicted a reciprocal visit by Kim that is not tied to the North Korea-US summit may be an event both domestically and internationally indicating his strong commitment to denuclearization and degree of confidence. It may also be taken as a signal of commitment to continued advancements in inter-Korean relations through observance of the terms agreed upon by the South and North Korean leaders in their Pyongyang Joint Declaration last September.

By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter

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