[EAI Issue Briefing] How to Approach the Coming Inter-Korean and North Korea-US Summits, and Future Challenges for South Korea
2018-03-26
Knowledge-Net for a Better World
20 March 2018
EAI Issue Briefing How to Approach the Coming Inter-Korean and North Korea-US Summits, and Future Challenges for South Korea
Chaesung Chun, Seoul National University
"Turning a New Page on the North Korea Issue"
Circumstances surrounding the Korean Peninsula are on the fast track after the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics. With a high-level South Korean delegation’s visit to Pyongyang, inter-Korean summit and North Korea-US summit are each to be held in April and May, respectively. According to Chaesung Chun, agreements to hold dialogues between South and North Korea as well as between North Korea and the US are the result of the understanding that all other options than negotiation are exhausted. The agreement to hold the summits can also be credited to the efforts of the South Korean government to take a cautious approach aimed toward the root of the North Korea issue. However, Chun argues that because North Korea still has the alternative option of advancing its nuclear missile program further, there is a possibility that situations will change especially if sanctions against the North are softened and North Korea-China relations are improved. Chun proposes that it is necessary to shift from a pressure-oriented strategy to the parallel pursuit of pressure and engagement and the international community should be able to provide specific and concrete incentives to North Korea for halting its nuclear development.
