Korea-U.S. Cooperate to Invite the North for Dialogue

By the reaffirmation of the peaceful resolution of the North Korean problems at the Korea-U.S. summit on 20th, the Korean and U.S. governments set to prepare for various accompanying measures to invite the North to the dialogue table.

However, tuning the North Korean policies between Korea and the U.S. is expected to be a rocky way since the Korean government wants to deliver a stronger intention to talk with the North at first but the U.S. wants to consider taking sanctions against the North if the North continue to reject the dialogue.

Urge for Inter-Korean Dialogue: the Korean government strongly urged the North to resume the Inter-Korean dialogue, maintaining the position to advance the Inter-Korean dialogue and the North-U.S. dialogue simultaneously. Particularly, the government will request for an immediate resumption of the government authority meeting to discuss the current issues such as family union, food aid, and reconnection of the Kyong-Ui Railroad, of which the U.S. also urged for immediate resolutions. Unification Minister Choi Sung-Hong stated yesterday, "the important thing is to deliver our strong intention for dialogue to the North perfectly. We are expecting that the North understands the intention for the dialogue of Korea and the U.S. and step forward positively to the Inter-Korean dialogue and the North-U.S. dialogue."

A high-ranking official of the government said, "the U.S. declared that it would not provide any reward for the resumption of dialogue and we will deliver the U.S.`s intention for dialogue to the North. And the U.S. may not rely on the good will of the North only."

Tuning Between Korea and the U.S. : the Korean government had chain meetings with Jack Prichard, special envoy for the Peace of the Korean Peninsula Conference, and Michael Green, the U.S. President`s Asian advisor, to discuss the measures for the dialogues with the North.

Special envoy Prichard said, "the two countries will actively cooperate with each other focusing on the dialogue with the North." after meeting with the Korean government officials including Kim Sung-Hwan, the director of North American bureau.

The government will have a standing committee of the National Security Council presided by Unification Minister Chung Se-Hyun on 22nd to discuss the measures for the resumption of the Inter-Korean and the North-U.S. dialogue based on the result of the Korea-U.S. summit.

Mr. Bush Left From Korea: U.S. President Bush visited a U.S. Air Base in Osan on 21st and stated that "we will never allow the most dangerous regime to threat the U.S. and the allied nations with weapons of mass destruction."

He also said, "the peace of the Korean Peninsula is based on the military power. We will continue to station the U.S. Armed Forces in the Korean Peninsula." He left for China after completing his visit to Korea for two days.

ysmo@donga.com