Amid increasing international pressure and sanctions against North Korea following its nuclear test and missile launches, the communist state is seeking dialogue with the United States in an abrupt about-face. In a rare move, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations Sin Son-ho held a press conference on July 24 and hinted at the possibility of resuming dialogue with the U.S. Sin told reporters that his government was not against dialogue, nor was it against any negotiations on issues of common concern. He also said North Korea is not to blame for the deadlock and is ready for dialogue any time. Previously, North Korea rejected Washington’s repeated proposals of dialogue, such as U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth’s Pyongyang visit. Why has North Korea changed its attitude all of a sudden? Here’s Dr. Hong Hyun-ik at the Sejong Institute to explain.

North Korea had expected active dialogue with the U.S. following the inauguration of the Obama administration. In an apparent gesture to show its disappointment, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket on April 5 and conducted the second nuclear test on May 25. Contrary to the North’s expectations, the Obama government remained firm in its stance and the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against the North. North Korea’s repeated provocative acts have spawned international criticism, with the U.N. actually imposing sanctions on the North. Under these circumstances, North Korea seems to be making a political calculation, wondering whether it will make additional provocations or suggesting negotiations, in order to avoid strong international sanctions. For its own survival, the North now seeks to engage in dialogue with the U.S., which it accuses of giving cause for the North’s development of weapons of mass destruction. In a highly strategic move, North Korea has signaled its will to resume dialogue with the U.S.

As a mater of fact, North Korea showed signs of a shift in its position before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum took place in Thailand last week. North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam, which had been traveling under international monitoring, eventually returned home. On July 23, Ri Hung-sik, deputy head of the North’s delegation to the ASEAN Regional Forum, dismissed a U.S.-proposed “comprehensive package” of incentives for Pyongyang as “nonsense.” But he said his country wasn’t opposed to dialogue with the U.S. Washington, for its part, is cautiously leaning toward dialogue with the reclusive nation, while still maintaining its “two track” strategy based on pressure and dialogue in dealing with North Korea. The U.S. has yet to make any conclusions about Pyongyang’s dialogue offer. In an interview with an NBC program, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated that the six-party talks were an appropriate dialogue framework to engage North Korea and that the U.S. would not reward the North just for returning to the negotiation table. Dr. Hong analyzes Clinton’s remarks in two ways.

Clinton strengthens friendship with South Korea and Japan by stating that the six-party talks involving these two countries are more important than bilateral dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. That is, North Korea-U.S. negotiations may be possible as a preliminary step toward the resumption of the six-way talks, but the bilateral talks aren’t an ultimate goal. Clinton also said the U.S. would not accept any “half measures,” nor would it reward the North for simply returning to the dialogue table. The remarks indicate Washington’s strict principle that the North should show its commitment to denuclearization.

In response, North Korea has repeatedly expressed its intention not to participate in the six-way talks. North Korea’s envoy to the U.N. Sin Son-ho said on July 24 that six-party talks were “gone forever.” Also, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on July 27 that there’s a new approach that could resolve the current standoff. This is seen as an indirect demand for bilateral dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. Both sides place importance on dialogue, but they insist on their own conditions and formats, which are widely different. For that reason, experts aren’t sure of the resumption of the six-party talks or North Korea-U.S. negotiations.

Even China and Russia, North Korea’s traditional allies, supported the U.N. resolution slapping sanctions on the North. So the six-party talks now show a format of five against one, which will almost certainly isolate North Korea further. That’s why the North strongly rejects the multilateral negotiations. It’s hard to reconvene the six-way talks in the near future, even if the participating nations agree to do so. If China plays a mediating role in initiating North Korea-U.S. talks, and if the two sides manage to coordinate their differing views somehow, North Korea will be able to avoid isolation. Only then can the involved countries attempt to restart the six-party talks. For now, however, it’s hard to imagine that the six-party will resume anytime soon.

Yet, we still cannot rule out the possibility that North Korea and the U.S. may start discussions as early as next month through their New York channel. If North Korea asks the U.S. to dispatch a special envoy to discuss the fate of the two American journalists being detained in the North, bilateral dialogue may proceed more quickly than expected. With the growing possibility of resuming North Korea-U.S. dialogue, attention is now being paid to how North Korea deals with relations with Seoul and how the South Korean government should deal with new developments.

Once North Korea-U.S. negotiations start, Pyongyang will highly likely employ its old policy of talking solely with the U.S. while excluding South Korea. Seoul isn’t worried about the North’s scheme, since South Korea and the U.S. have been on good terms with each other. Yet, there’s no permanent friend in foreign politics. Even if Seoul and Washington maintain a friendly relationship, it’s still possible the diplomatic landscape may be affected by North Korea’s so-called “talk with the U.S., isolate the South” plan. It’s essential for South Korea to sustain and strengthen the alliance with the U.S. At the same time, Seoul also needs to create its own negotiation channel and seek inter-Korean dialogue, rather than entrusting the U.S. with all kinds of negotiations. In light of its own national interest, South Korea should promote mutually-beneficial economic cooperation with the North.

After a series of diplomatic incidents, both North Korea and the U.S. have realized once again that dialogue is the most desired method to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. Not only North Korea and the U.S., but also the whole international community, including South Korea, should make diplomatic efforts for the prompt resumption of pragmatic dialogue.


[Interview] Local District Holds Job Fair for N. Korean Defectors
Hearing the announcement that the job fair will begin soon, North Korean defectors stop looking at the recruitment board and walk toward the fair site. In the afternoon of July 16, the Yangcheon District Office in Seoul held a job fair for North Korean defectors who have a hard time getting jobs. Unlike other job fairs, the event started with cheerful shouts for lifting the morale of the participants. The job fair was designed to provide the North Korean newcomers with more opportunities to land jobs—a prerequisite for their successful resettlement—and to help employers find workers easily. Jeong Dong-mun, director of the Support Group for North Korean Defectors, notes the difficulty the North Koreans face when they try to get jobs.

16-thousand North Korean defectors have come to South Korea so far. There are lots of things to do before they resettle here, but it’s most important for them to find jobs. Yet, they know little about what kinds of jobs they should pursue. Even if they know that, they have no idea of how to apply for those jobs. The newcomers are also met with social prejudices against them. To help them get jobs more easily, the Support Group for North Korean Defectors organized this job fair by mediating between companies and defectors.

A total of 24 companies and manufacturers and some 100 defectors from diverse age groups participated in the job fair. The defectors, who had endured many hardships in order to reach South Korea, seemed to have high expectations and passion for new jobs, regardless of sex or age. The newcomers received job counseling or had job interviews at the booths set up by the employers.

…My company engages in cookie packaging business. It began to hire North Korean defectors in 2006, and there are six such workers now. They work very well, sometimes better than South Korean laborers. We’ve recently decided to hire more workers in line with our expansion plan. That’s why I’m here.

…My company is a retail and distribution group. At first, I was unfamiliar with their North Korean accent. But they are Korean people, too, and I imagine they chose to come to South Korea instead of other foreign countries with the same belief. Considering this, I hope they will be able to adjust to a new life here successfully and live in harmony with South Koreans.


The job fair didn’t end up being just a one-time event, since it offered follow-up programs. That is, after the defectors land jobs, the support group will visit their companies for the next three months to make sure the new employees are doing fine. The group has also organized another program for other North Korean defectors who failed to get jobs at the recent job fair.

…We have a list of North Korean job seekers. So, we’ll continue to play a bridging role in connecting companies with the defectors.

….I’m from a local recruitment center, commissioned by the Labor Ministry. The center serves as a job recruitment agency for North Korean defectors. We teach them how to write a résumé and a self-introduction statement and how to prepare for an interview, as well as some tips on eye contact, in order to encourage them to have more confidence. We continue to offer telephone counseling until they get jobs.

Thanks to the pragmatic programs, those who have yet to find jobs and those who have just started working alike have been able to get over stumbling blocks standing in the way of the job-searching process, such as language and age. They say confidently that they won’t give up easily. Hopefully, there will be more job opportunities so the newcomers will be happy to work in South Korea and design a hopeful future as well.