Seoul: North Korea appears to be inactive in engaging in diplomacy with South Korea or the United States, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said, days after both President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed their eagerness to resume talks with Pyongyang in their high-stakes summit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Wi made the remarks a day after Pyongyang's state media announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will soon visit China to attend a military parade in Beijing, setting the stage for a possible three-way summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Wi told CBS radio that it would be "constructive not to set expectations too high for the possibility of dialogue" with North Korea. He emphasized that North Korea has not shown willingness to engage in talks, either with South Korea or the U.S.
Wi advised that it would be better to "calmly" wait for Pyongyang's response, noting its "very passive and negative attitude" toward Lee's peace overtures. He also assessed the likelihood of Kim attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in late October as "very low." On Kim's planned visit to China, Wi remarked that it was a development requiring close attention.
Reflecting on the summit between Lee and Trump, Wi noted that the most visible outcome was the building of "personal rapport" between the two leaders, highlighting Trump's unconventional style that emphasizes personal chemistry. Although Seoul and Washington worked on a joint statement covering security, trade, investment, and economic cooperation, it was not released at the end of the summit, as progress in some areas was deemed "slow" and required further consultations with ministries and parliament.
Wi mentioned that there was agreement on shipbuilding and "meaningful progress" in nuclear energy cooperation, including potential partnerships for nuclear exports and a bilateral nuclear energy pact. He indicated that South Korea and the U.S. could jointly enter third-country markets, with discussions underway on giving South Korea greater leeway in nuclear enrichment and reprocessing.
Seoul has long sought to secure uranium enrichment and reprocessing capabilities to complete the nuclear fuel cycle, viewing these capabilities as crucial for addressing its energy security and environmental concerns, and aiding its export efforts. Washington has been cautious against lifting restrictions in the pact primarily due to proliferation concerns, as a reprocessing facility can be used to extract plutonium for nuclear weapons.