North Korea and China have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activities to reopen the six-party nuclear talks. Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international department, made a surprise visit to North Korea on February 6, and North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan returned home on February 13 from his Beijing trip. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Kim had discussed in depth relations between North Korea and China, the conclusion of a peace treaty that would replace the Korean War armistice and the resumption of the six-way talks during his China visit. Prior to that, Chinese official Wang Jiarui held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on February 8. According to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, the North Korean leader stressed during the meeting with Wang that involved countries should make sincere efforts to reconvene the six-party talks. Hong Hyun-ik, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, explains that the recent visits between North Korean and China may suggest what China has in mind.

The negotiations of resuming the six-party talks seemed to be gaining steam, following the North Korea visit by U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth on December 8 last year. However, North Korea continues to insist that negotiations for a peace treaty come first and sanctions against North Korea be either eased or lifted before the nation actually returns to the six-party talks. With North Korea and the U.S. engaging in a fierce war of nerves, China, the host country of the six-party talks, is now seeking to play a more active role. Beijing’s intention is revealed in the latest visits between China and North Korea. Bilateral dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. has somewhat waned the role of the six-party talks, subsequently weakening China’s position. So China seeks to reinforce its diplomatic status again and dissuade North Korea from developing nuclear weapons through the six-party talks. Also, China doesn’t want the North Korean issues to affect its relations with the U.S. For those reasons, China is moving fast to strengthen its diplomacy.

Diplomatic experts note that the meeting between Kim Jong-il and Wang Jiarui took pace in Hamheung, South Hamgyeong Province, not in Pyongyang. In an unusual move to break the diplomatic code of conduct, the North asked the Chinese official, who would deliver a verbal message from Chinese President Hu Jintao, to come to the nation’s eastern province. Experts speculate Pyongyang expressed its discontent that overall conditions do not appear mature enough to push for the six-party talks. Regardless of the North’s attitude, China seems to be more proactive than ever before. Media reports say North Korea succeeded in drawing massive investment worth 10 billion dollars from China during Wang’s North Korea visit. Attention is now being paid to whether China’s large-scale investment in North Korea will serve as a turning point in the solution to the nuclear issue.

North Korea and China seem to be trying to create a win-win situation for bilateral relations, resolving each other’s difficulties. Commodity prices have skyrocketed, creating market jitters in North Korea since the nation’s currency reform at the end of November last year. The communist nation must make economic achievements to fulfill its goal of building a “powerful North Korea” in 2012. But Pyongyang finds it very difficult to improve its economic conditions, due to sanctions imposed on the nation in the wake of its nuclear test and long-range missile firing. China, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, conforms to the U.N.-imposed sanctions against the North. But China has decided on economic investment in North Korea, which does not run counter to the U.N. sanctions. China expects the 10-billion dollar investment will help ease the economic difficulty of the impoverished North. In return, North Korea may return to the six-party talks or show a more sincere attitude at least, in order to enable Beijing to gain ground in the diplomatic arena and to highlight China’ efforts toward a peaceful solution to Korean Peninsula issues. In brief, China’s decision to make large investments in North Korea suits China’s political purpose and North Korea’s economic desire simultaneously.

Involved countries will likely start coordinating views on the resumption of the six-party talks from the end of this month. China, for instance, is expected to brief the other participants of the six-way talks on the result of the latest meetings with North Korea and tap their opinions about whether they can resume the multilateral talks sooner or later. As soon as the lunar New Year’s holidays end, China will also likely mediate between North Korea and the U.S. over the conditions for restarting the six-party talks. If the process goes smoothly, some predict that the six-way talks could reconvene as early as late March.

The lunar New Year’s holidays last about ten days in China. When the holidays end, around late February, China may send Wu Dawei, Beijing’s chief delegate to the six-way talks, to involved countries. Or, chief nuclear envoys of each country may visit China to discuss North Korea’s intentions. China and the U.S. may then review what the negotiators discussed and possibly set the date for the six-party talks. In the meantime, North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan could visit the U.S. A major parliamentary convention is scheduled in mid-March in China, while a nuclear security summit will be held in Washington in April. All things considered, it is assumed that the six-party talks could be held in late March or early April.

Yet, some other experts are wary of optimism. They note that the Obama administration hasn’t fared very well in domestic politics, with its approval ratings falling. They predict it will be hard for the Obama government to show additional flexibility toward North Korea. According to Lynn Pascoe, special envoy of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Under-Secretary General for U.N. Political Affairs, North Korea has yet to be prepared for rejoining the six-party talks. Pascoe visited North Korea on February 9. Mr. Hong says it’s necessary to show consideration for North Korea’s position at this point in time to resume the six-party nuclear talks.

South Korea and Japan are even more adamant than the U.S. that North Korea should come back to the six-party talks and faithfully cooperate in the denuclearization efforts before discussing the issues of lifting sanctions and concluding a peace treaty. All the six countries of the multilateral talks have already reached consensus, in essence, that a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue can only be realized through negotiations. Therefore, it’s necessary to listen to North Korea’s opinions and induce the nation to sit down for the six-party talks again. While fully supporting the diplomatic role of China, the host country of the negotiations, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. need to consider concluding a peace treaty in tandem with the resolution of the nuclear issue. This is the best option for breaking the nuclear deadlock.

It remains to be seen whether China’s diplomatic efforts will draw positive responses from involved countries or whether the tedious war of nerves will continue surrounding the nuclear issue. Now is time for the negotiators to display wisdom for the sake of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.


[Interview] Volunteers from Two Koreas Celebrate Lunar New Year Holiday Together
During the lunar New Year’s holiday last week, many Koreans traveled to their hometowns or visited their relatives to celebrate one of the most important traditional holidays in Korea. But some people are not allowed to go to their hometowns on this festive occasion no matter how badly they wish to do so. The unfortunate people are old North Korean refugees who left their homes during the Korean War and defectors who have escaped the North and found a new life here in South Korea in recent years. Traditional holidays always remind them of their homes and family members in North Korea. At this time of year, the strong nostalgia many have kept buried for their lost homes and families returns. On February 9, a few days before the lunar New Year’s Day, a special event took place at the Gangseo Red Cross Service Center in the Yangcheon district, western Seoul, for North Korean defectors who would have otherwise spent the holiday alone.

A group of volunteers from South and North Korea cooked traditional foods and set the holiday table together during this love-sharing event for North Korean expatriates. The 30 participants were South Korean volunteers from the Korea National Red Cross and members of a volunteer group consisting of North Korean defectors, which was launched last March. Let’s listen to Park Jeong-suk, president of the Yangcheon District Council of the Korea National Red Cross.

The volunteer group of North Korean defectors was created in March last year. Together with the group members, we, South Korean volunteers, made holiday dishes ahead of the lunar New Year’s Day. We’ll send the food to senior citizens living alone. This is the purpose of this event. Following in our steps, the North Korean volunteers hope to do something good for their neighbors, rather than receiving help constantly. While cooking holiday foods together, we wanted the defector volunteers to ease their homesickness and loneliness.

During the event, the South and North Korean participants showcased their respective traditional foods. One of the representative North Korean dishes was Abai Sundae, a local specialty of the North’s Hamgyeong Province. It is a Korean-style sausage made of clotted pig blood, glutinous rice, cabbage leaves and bean sprouts stuffed in pig intestine and steamed. Meanwhile, South Korean participants prepared for sanjeok, a Korean-style shish kebab. To make this dish, you slice marinated beef into long pieces and skewer them. The North Korean defectors were very curious about sanjeok, since they had never tasted it before. Te participants also fried fish fillets and cooked tteok-guk or rice cake soup. The foods were delivered to senior citizens living alone in the Yangcheon district. Although the South and North Korean participants speak with different accents and their holiday cultures may differ, they celebrated as one their hearts with neighbors in need.

…It’s so pleasant to get together, share food, help one another and laugh together. I made this food in hopes that the elderly people will fully enjoy it and come to realize that North Koreans are the same Korean people.

…It’s a meaningful day. It’s nice to feel the holiday spirit, along with defectors from North Korea ahead of the lunar New Year’s Day. I’m very glad to prepare for food with the newcomers and spend time together with them. It’s fun to share the work. I’m thankful to participate in this volunteer work.

The participants enjoyed the precious moment of love and sharing, timed with the lunar New Year’s Day. Their warmhearted service for needy neighbors truly made the holiday more special and memorable.