North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has hinted at the possibility of rejoining the six-party talks, though conditionally. Attention has now been turned to whether the involved countries can find a breakthrough for the protracted nuclear standoff. According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, Kim met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Pyongyang on Monday evening and told him that his country was prepared to return to multilateral talks, depending on the progress in its negotiations with the United States. In particular, Kim clearly stated the multilateral talks also include the six-party talks which North Korea had boycotted several times. Pyongyang does seem to have changed its previous attitude, although preconditions apply. Here’s Dr. Jeon Hyun-jun from the Korea Institute for National Unification to analyze the North’s apparent about-face.

It’s clear that North Korea seeks to resolve the nuclear issue and other military concerns through negotiations with the U.S. while maintaining close economic and political relations with China. The North had hoped to improve ties with Washington, following the inauguration of the Obama government in the U.S. But the situation hasn’t turned out the way the North had hoped, and North Korea expressed its disappointment by conducting a nuclear test on May 25. The communist state is now trying to use the six-party talks as another negotiation card to ease economic sanctions imposed by the U.S.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s North Korea visit drew special attention from the moment Wen arrived in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-il personally greeted the Chinese premier at Sunan Airport last Sunday. It is very unusual for the North Korean leader to come to the airport to welcome a foreign prime minister, a gesture typically reserved for heads of state. Diplomatic experts also note that it was the first time Kim specifically mentioned the six-party talks.

North Korea hopes to restore friendly ties with Beijing in order to resolve its economic difficulties, including chronic food shortages. Right now, it is most urgent for the impoverished North to receive food aid from China. Also, 80-90 percent of daily necessities in North Korea are made in China. North Korea cannot survive if China imposes economic sanctions. In a rare gesture, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il came to the airport to greet Wen, and hundreds of thousands of Pyongyang citizens welcomed the Chinese official on the streets. While demonstrating friendship with its communist ally, Pyongyang expects China will improve its North Korea policy.

Kim Jong-il’s comments also indicate that North Korea finds it necessary to save face for China, host country for the six-way nuclear talks. As a result, China will bolster its diplomatic status in the international community while North Korea secures an advocate. Meanwhile, experts have mixed forecasts about the future of the six-party talks. Some take note of Kim’s remarks on “multilateral talks, including six-way talks,” and place more emphasis on the term, “multilateral.” They speculate that North Korea is more interested in changing the format of the nuclear negotiations than in returning to the six-party talks. And if the nation actually attempts to change the dialogue format, the nuclear issue could face another setback. Still, most agree that Kim Jong-il’s recent comments will facilitate bilateral talks between North Korea and the U.S.

North Korea wants to resolve the nuclear issue through bilateral negotiations with the U.S., if possible, while the U.S. and other involved countries insist on the maintenance of the six-party frame. As a compromise, it appears North Korea and the U.S. will hold bilateral dialogue first and then North Korea will come back to the six-party talks. Now that Kim Jong-il has mentioned multilateral talks, including six-way negotiations, the U.S. is expected to dispatch a special envoy to North Korea, sometime in late October. If the North Korea-U.S. meeting makes progress, the six-party talks could reconvene within this year from an optimistic point of view. Now, we have to watch what negotiation card the U.S. will employ and what incentives it may give to North Korea. Only after the U.S. finalizes its official position can we predict the future of the six-party talks.

The timing and the basic outline of North Korea-U.S. negotiations will take shape before long, but it depends on how the U.S. government responds to Kim’s comments. The U.S. has expressed hope that North Korea will return to the six-party talks following Kim’s remarks, but Washington remains wary. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said on Tuesday that the ultimate goal is the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the best way toward that goal is the six-party talks. That is, the U.S. reiterates the principle of maintaining the six-party setting, in an apparent message toward North Korea, which favors bilateral dialogue with the U.S. Dr. Jeon says participants of the six-party talks will engage in a war of nerves and a flurry of diplomatic activities down the road, surrounding the North’s latest offer.

North Korea frowns upon the six-party talks, because it believes the other five participants of the talks join forces to pressure the North and elicit concessions from it. The North doesn’t think the six-way framework is a fair game. So, it’s necessary to dispel the North’s distrust before the six-party conference resumes. The multilateral negotiations, once realized, should fully reflect North Korea’s position. The other five involved countries should also be committed to sincere dialogue with the communist country and make an all-out effort to induce the nation to give up its nuclear programs. And they must coordinate their views about some reciprocal measures in return for North Korea’s nuclear dismantlement.

The negotiators will inevitably face a number of obstacles before entering the dialogue phase. The latest meeting between Kim Jong-il and Wen Jiabao was a stepping stone to a resumption of the six-party talks. Follow-up efforts by other involved countries seem more necessary than ever.


[Interview] N. Korean Teenage Defectors Hold Concert
On the evening of Saturday, September 26, the “Yehol” performance hall in Apgujeong-dong in Seoul was filled with people awaiting beautiful songs. The concert, entitled “Same or Different, Hoping for Tomorrow,” was organized by students of the “Three Four School,” an alternative school for North Korean teenage defectors. School principal Park Sang-young stresses the special meaning of the concert that featured North Korean children’s songs.

Every year, my students produce theatrical dramas describing their plight in the course of defecting from North Korea and resettling here in the South, as well as their hopes and dreams. Now in its third year, the event shows 15 children’s songs that the students enjoyed singing in North Korea when they were kids. They added their stories associated with these songs to create a musical. Some 30 students participated in the show, and members of a singing club from Hanyang University joined the practice session. So, this year’s event was organized by both South and North Korean students, which I think is all the more meaningful.

Last February, Mr. Park opened a new music class in which students sing songs they enjoyed in North Korea. Park has since recorded the numbers piece by piece. The recent concert introduced some of the children’s songs, including “The Hare” and “The Half Moon,” which are also familiar to South Korean children, as well as emotional North Korean songs, such as “Skies in My Hometown” and “The Jacket with Sleeves of Colorful Stripes.” When the teenage defectors sang the beautiful songs, the audience members reminisced about their childhoods. When exciting songs resounded around the hall, they clapped their hands, following the beats and rhythms. Between the performances, defector students walked out on the stage one by one and recalled their memories about their North Korean hometowns. Their trembling voices seemed to deeply touch the hearts of the audiences. Here, two audience members share their opinions.

….I was impressed by the students, who shared their stories with the audiences. I found myself singing along with the exciting North Korean music. I would never have known they were North Korean songs, if the performers didn’t say so. There were so many wonderful songs.

….In the middle of the show, I saw some performers wearing masks. The masks symbolize the tools North Korean defectors need in the process of adjusting to South Korean society. When the show reaches its climax, they confidently take off the masks, which is quite impressing. The scene implies they can now stand on their own two feet.

The audiences gave a big hand to the young North Korean newcomers, who organized the entire production process themselves, from the scenario to the music; from choreography to stage costumes. It was the first such experience for the students, so they made some mistakes and the show left something to be desired. Yet, they say they’re happy to cherish the precious memory about this meaningful event.

…..I was supposed to dance to the music, but the music came too early. So I missed the first dance movement. It was a little disappointing. But I realized I had become more honest with myself while singing and dancing. I confidently sang North Korean songs I had enjoyed in my childhood in front of many spectators. I found myself feeling proud of being a North Korean defector. I was dripping with sweat, but there was tremendous applause when the show was over. I love that moment.

…It was hard for me to become expressive when I read my lines. Many newcomers tend to be shy and reserved because they’re unfamiliar with a South Korean environment. But once they stand on stage like this, they become more confident and active. I’ve realized this event helped my North Korean friends change in many ways.

The songs featured at the recent concert will be made into a record album. The school principal hopes that the new album will help the general public better understand North Korean culture and empathize with it.

We recorded the songs in the studio two weeks ago. I hope people from various walks of life in South Korea, including teenagers, will listen to the songs and understand North Korean people. When thinking of North Korea, many South Koreans are reminded of soldiers walking with heavy steps or poor people crying and shouting for their “dear leader.” But listening to these lovely songs, South Korean citizens will realize they still share something in common with people across the border, although they have stood against one another for decades. They will surely recognize that South and North Koreans seem different in some ways but they are the same people after all.

Here’s hoping the beautiful tunes of North Korean songs will help dissolve the lingering social prejudices against North Korea and its people.