Still Standstill...Perhaps Regression, Even?
Duyeon Kim | Aug 24, 2011 |
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2011.8.24 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il & Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Ulan-Ude (Xinhua)
The first Pyongyang-Moscow summit in nine years - aimed largely at deepening bilateral economic ties - concluded with no news on the nuclear front. Based on the available information reported on the August 24th summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Pyongyang merely reiterated its basic position without clear signs of taking any steps forward toward denuclearization.
However, it is difficult to make a complete and definitive assessment since the summit results were carried by the media, absent official word from North Korea. Closed door deals, if they exist, remain veiled. The other parties to the Six Party Talks have yet to be debriefed on the summit while chief nuclear negotiators from Seoul and Beijing are slated to meet on Thursday, August 25th.
At this point, only an initial and limited assessment can be made based on preliminary information delivered by the media: (Click “Read More”)
Nukes on a Blog, North Korea, Russia, Kim Jong-il, Dmitry Medvedev, Six Party Talks (all tags)
North Korea Is Coming to Town, But...
Duyeon Kim | Jul 25, 2011 | 0 
North Korean Vice FM Kim Kye-gwan
Step II is expected to begin this week in a three-step approach in resuming the Six Party Talks that broke down in December 2008.
Upon U.S. invitation, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-Gwan is expected to land in New York later this week for preliminary talks with a US inter-agency team. Kim, Pyongyang’s former chief nuclear negotiator to the Six Party Talks, orchestrates the North’s nuclear negotiations.
The meeting would come on the heels of Step I held last week between the two Koreas on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bali, and would be the first time in over a year (1 year and 7 months to be exact) since Washington and Pyongyang met directly, face-to-face.
Seoul and Washington officials are maintaining a cautious stance, and are rightly still suspicious of whether Pyongyang truly intends to surrender its nuclear arsenal.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement, “We will not give them anything new for actions they have already agreed to take. And we have no appetite for pursuing protracted negotiations that will only lead us right back to where we have already been." (Click 'Read More.')
North Korea-U.S. direct talks, South Korea, Six Party Talks (all tags)
Two Koreas Begin Step 1 of 3
Duyeon Kim | Jul 22, 2011 | 0 
2011.7.22 Inter-Korean Denuclearization Talks, Bali
Chief nuclear negotiators from the two Koreas held a two-hour discussion in Bali for the first time in over 2.5 years since the Six Party Talks broke down in 2008. Meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Seoul’s Wi Sung-lac and Pyongang’s Ri Yong-ho agreed to work towards resuming the Six Party Talks “as soon as possible.”
They reportedly discussed a range of issues aimed at building trust and clearing up misunderstandings as part of the three-step approach (inter-Korean talks --> U.S.-North Korea talks --> Six Party Talks) in resuming multilateral nuclear negotiations.
South Korean news reports say the two Koreas did not set a date for their next meeting, and it’s unclear whether it will take place in parallel or simultaneously with U.S.-North Korea talks.
Foreign Ministers from the two Koreas are also expected to meet during the ARF on Saturday.
While Seoul has shown flexibility in delinking the Cheonan and Yeongpyeong Island attacks from the denuclearization process, it had remained firm that Pyongyang needs to show a sincere gesture towards denuclearization before resuming the Six Party Talks. An example has been for Pyongyang to allow IAEA inspectors back into the North, but it remains to be seen how such precondition will be handled.
The Bali meeting is a step in the right direction. It was significant in that it was the first time in 20 years the two Koreas held denuclearization discussions, which is a topic the North has always refused, claiming it is an issue between Pyongyang and Washington.
Just as a senior Seoul official was quoted as saying, dialogue enabled the two Koreas to understand each other’s position better and clear up any misunderstandings. Such a trust-building meeting is undeniably important, but it stopped short of any agreements on substance.
This means, the tough part has yet to come that will decide the fate of the Six Party Talks.
South Korea, North Korea, denuclearization talks, Bali, Wi Sung-lac, Ri Yong-ho, Six Party Talks (all tags)
South-North Korea Military Dialogue Soon?
Duyeon Kim | Jan 20, 2011 | 0 
2009.9.30 Inter-Korean working-level military talks (Newsis)
South Korea has reportedly accepted North Korea’s proposal for high-level military talks. Pyongyang’s proposal came on Thursday immediately following U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao’s Wednesday summit, which called for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue and denuclearization. So it appears there was prior coordination between Beijing and Pyongyang ahead of the U.S.-China summit. It also appears preparatory cross-border talks at the working-level could commence in early February. However, the two Koreas are in for some very tough discussions, and the results of the preparatory meeting will determine whether and when formal military talks take place.
It would be the first time in about three months since the two Koreas held military discussions. Last September, Pyongyang was unwilling to discuss the sinking of the Cheonan ship and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.
This time, Seoul’s Unification Ministry says Pyongyang proposed discussing the sinking of the South’s Cheonan ship and artillery attacks on Yeonpyeong Island.
Why the sudden seemingly conciliatory gesture? (Click "read more").
inter-Korean military talks, North Korea, nuclear, Six Party Talks (all tags)
