Kang Chang-il: “Trump appears to be more active in North Korea-US talks due to election defeat”

(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Hyun-jung = Kang Chang-il, senior vice chairman of the Advisory Council for Democratic and Peaceful Unification, said on the 4th that there is a possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump will accelerate North Korea-US talks as the ruling Republican Party lost in the U.S. midterm elections.

Senior Vice Chairman Kang met with Korean correspondents in Beijing, China on the 4th and said this regarding the possibility of a North Korea-US summit taking place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Shenzhen, China on the 18th and 19th.

He said, “I think that President Trump will become more active after losing (in the midterm elections),” and “(North Korea-US talks) may accelerate further.”

However, Senior Vice Chairman Kang predicted that "it will be difficult to proceed with large-scale negotiations," citing the fact that President Trump showed reservations about the possibility of meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the midterm elections, and that the situation in the Middle East, including the sluggish negotiations with Iran, is not improving.

Based on the background of Chairman Kim's visit to Dandong, Liaoning Province, China on the 24th of last month, it was speculated that there was a possibility of prior coordination between North Korea and China regarding the resumption of North Korea-US dialogue.

He said, "Chairman Kim visited Dandong on a one-day trip and showed a practical move to strengthen cooperation between North Korea and China. Since this is a visit to China ahead of APEC, I think there is a possibility of prior strategic coordination with China."

Senior Vice Chairman Kang also called for China to play an active role in helping North Korea return to dialogue with South Korea.

He said, "I hope that the trend of normalization of Korea-China relations will lead to an improvement in inter-Korean relations," and "I hope that China will play a big role in improving inter-Korean relations as a leader in peace in Northeast Asia and a mediator of peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Senior Vice Chairman Kang especially emphasized the importance of four-party talks involving North and South Korea, the United States, and China. He said, “Four-party talks need to take place right now,” and called for multilateral discussions to transform the armistice system on the Korean Peninsula into a peace system.

Regarding the possibility of so-called 'Korea passing', where Korea is left out during the North Korea-US dialogue process, he said, "It is unlikely that we will be left out," and "China will not gain much from alienating Korea."

However, he cautioned, "If the closeness between North Korea, China, and Russia deepens and continues, North Korea will secure a clear economic channel," and added, "There is a possibility that inter-Korean dialogue for economic cooperation, etc., will be pushed to a lower priority in the future."

In addition, he evaluated that the opening of the New Yalu Bridge and Chairman Kim's visit to Dandong last month demonstrated the soundness of North Korea-China relations, and pointed out, "There are concerns that China and Russia's trade and support for North Korea may neutralize the international community's sanctions."

Regarding the issue of North Korea's denuclearization, Senior Vice-Chairman Kang mentioned that North Korea is demanding recognition of its status as a nuclear state and the relaxation of sanctions against North Korea, and suggested that it would be desirable to proceed with a step-by-step denuclearization process of freeze, reduction, and dismantlement.

Regarding the recent conflict between China and Japan, he said, "It is not simply a regional issue of bickering over Taiwan, but a huge battle for leadership in East Asia as a whole."

He predicted that the hard-line standoff between China and Japan will continue for the time being and expressed concern that the conflict between the two countries could have a negative impact on Korea's security and economy through increased military activities in the West and South Seas and controls on rare earth exports.

He added that it would also be helpful to Korea's national interest for the leaders of China and Japan to provide an opportunity to improve relations through the APEC in Shenzhen and the G20 summit in Miami, USA in December.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a constitutional organization directly under the President. Its role is to collect domestic and international public opinion on peaceful unification policy and advise and recommend policies to the President. Senior Vice Chairman Kang was appointed in April this year as the successor to former Senior Vice Chairman Lee Hae-chan, who passed away in January this year. Following today's lecture, a unification policy lecture will be held in Shanghai on the 6th.