Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized the significance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's planned attendance at an upcoming military parade in China, stating that it warrants close scrutiny. Cho vowed to continue efforts to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue during an interview with Yonhap News TV, following North Korea's announcement that Kim will travel to Beijing for the September 3 celebration marking the end of World War II, known as Victory Day in China.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim's attendance holds particular importance as it will be the first time the North Korean leader joins other world leaders on a multilateral stage. This has fueled speculation about a potential three-way summit involving Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cho noted that North Korea has incentives to engage with the international community, especially since U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated willingness to hold talks with Kim.
Cho expressed that the announcement of Kim's participation in China's Victory Day should be closely observed. He mentioned that the government aims to work with relevant countries, including China, to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table, with the ultimate goal of denuclearization. Cho acknowledged the challenges of denuclearization but emphasized it as a crucial diplomatic objective to alter North Korea's status quo of possessing nuclear weapons.
During the interview, Cho also discussed progress in talks with Washington regarding the bilateral nuclear energy pact. He described it as "very meaningful" that Seoul and Washington agreed to explore ways to revise the pact during a recent summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. Cho highlighted the need for South Korea to reprocess spent nuclear fuel or enrich uranium for its nuclear power plants, requiring revisions to the agreement in coordination with the U.S.
The 2015 revision of the 1974 nuclear energy pact, known as the "123 Agreement," allowed South Korea limited rights to reprocess spent fuel and enrich uranium for peaceful use, with U.S. consent. However, U.S. concerns over nuclear proliferation have influenced the agreement's terms. The revision also allowed joint research on "pyroprocessing" technology for spent nuclear fuel recycling, though questions remain about its economic viability.
Cho emphasized the importance of approaching the issue from an industrial and environmental perspective, noting that the U.S. would not accept any pursuit of nuclear capabilities outside the agreement's framework. He expressed confidence that discussions with the U.S. would progress in a positive direction.