Anchor: South-North relations are expected to remain chilly for the time being following the cancellation of Wednesday’s highly anticipated inter-Korean government talks. Attention is now focused on whether South and North Korean foreign ministers can possibly meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum later this month. Given precedents, such a meeting could serve as a jumping-off point for dialogue, but some believe North Korea will avoid contact.
Our Kim Soyon reports.

Report: The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) opening in Brunei at the end of this month is now viewed as a possible venue for inter-Korean contact following the cancellation of government talks set for Wednesday and Thursday.

The forum will be held from June 30 to July second and addresses a range of comprehensive security concerns in the Asia-Pacific. Both South and North Korea are among its 27 members.

North Korea has been attending the forum since its seventh session in 2000 and the prevailing view is that it will likely attend this year.

One South Korean government source says it’s not clear whether a North Korean delegation will show up in Brunei but there’s no word that one won’t. The source noted a delegation will likely attend as ASEAN members are more or less favorable to the regime.

If the North attends, it will likely send Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun. South Korea will be sending Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

Some experts point out that the North may appear active in engaging the South at the forum, considering Pyongyang was the first to propose government-level talks with Seoul earlier this month.

In fact, the 2011 ASEAN Regional Forum sparked denuclearization talks between the two sides. And in 2005, then Seoul’s Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and his North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-sun held talks and agreed to work toward progress in the six-party nuclear dialogue.

However, for the same reason, others say that it would be burdensome for the North to hold a foreign ministerial meeting with the South, as it will have to address the issue of denuclearization.

Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News.