靑 “The possibility of contact between China and the US during APEC is small…it is difficult to determine before and after that.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hyeong-seop and Hwang Yoon-ki = A high-ranking Blue House official said on the 12th, "I think it is unlikely" regarding the possibility of contact between North Korea and the United States taking place next week at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China.

This high-ranking official met with reporters after the news of President Lee Jae-myung's attendance at the ASEAN-APEC summit was announced and said, "We believe that North Korea is unlikely to participate in multilateral diplomacy such as APEC."

However, he said, “I don’t know whether there will be contact between North Korea and the United States before or after the summit,” and added, “It is difficult to say because there are many factors that are difficult to predict.”

At the same time, he added, "I think overall (the possibility of it happening before or after that) is low, but if I were to compare it, I would say there is a greater possibility of it happening outside of the summit period than during it." He added, "I don't want to say anything definitively because there are many unpredictable players."

When asked about concerns that the United States might recognize North Korea as a nuclear state if the U.S.-North Korea summit takes place, he said, "I don't want to talk too far ahead of time," and added, "We are communicating well with the United States. Recognizing North Korea's status as a nuclear state is an area we are not imagining."

Regarding the possibility of a summit between the US, China and Russia taking place as an opportunity for ASEAN and APEC, he said, "I think we cannot rule out that possibility, so we are paying attention to it," and added, "We cannot conclude that there is no possibility that the Korean Peninsula issue will be discussed there. We are watching with interest and taking necessary actions."

Regarding North Korea's Workers' Party General Affairs Director Kim Yo-jong's announcement of the operation of loudspeakers for South Korea, he also explained, "I understand that North Korea has made an announcement and basic preparations have been made," but added, "There has been no further movement as of yet."

When asked what impact the results of the U.S. midterm elections would have on the dialogue between Korea and the United States, including the transfer of wartime operational control, he responded, "There were discussions between the Ministers of Defense between Korea and the United States, and wartime operational control was one of the items discussed. The discussions are progressing well."

He said, "The impact of the U.S. midterm elections on the dialogue between Korea and the U.S. has not been particularly visible," and added, "Government-to-government consultations are a more important factor. The issues of nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear energy agreements have not yet entered the normal discussion process, but we are trying to do so as soon as possible."

Regarding the recent submission to the National Assembly of a motion to extend the deployment of the Cheonghae Unit's operational area, he said, "It is about protecting our people and ships and participating in international cooperation for safe and free navigation."

In particular, he emphasized, "In times of emergency, we will exercise the minimum necessary defense or self-defense rights, but we will not participate in war or battle, and we will not enter other command systems," and "We will never enter a dangerous situation."