Experts' take on whether S. Korea's potential food aid to the North can restart nuclear talks
- 5 years ago
韓美, 北 식량지원 공감대.. 멈춰선'비핵화 대화'견인하나?
South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their support for food aid to Pyeongyang.
Seoul announced its plans to begin reviewing the process.
According to our Lee Ji-won, while hope is high such efforts could bring the regime back to the negotiating table, some experts beg to differ.
The U.S. has said it will not intervene if South Korea decides to provide humanitarian aid to the North.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters this on Wednesday,... also reiterating that the maximum pressure campaign will continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump had also said he supported South Korea's plans to provide aid during his phone call with President Moon Jae-in earlier in the week.
A key Blue House official told reporters Wednesday that it is now starting to review the humanitarian food aid to the North.
Seoul's Unification Ministry also said that it will proceed with the aid through close coordination with the international community.
But it added that it's not yet at a stage to share how much aid will be given or how it will be delivered.
With such developments,... there are hopes that this could lead to some progress in the current stalemate between Pyeongyang and Washington.
At the Hanoi summit, North Korea asked for a step-by-step negotiation with sanctions alleviation as an early corresponding measure,... and the U.S. requested an overall roadmap from the North before any sanctions relief.
And recently, the North has said it wants a guarantee of its regime's security in exchange for denuclearization.
Amid the atmosphere getting increasingly tense due to the North's recent firings of several projectiles,... some experts say the humanitarian aid could help soften the mood.
"It won't directly prompt the North to move, but it is a friendly gesture from the leaders of Seoul and Washington, so it shows their willingness to continue talks as well as setting the atmosphere for it."
But some experts say it won't be enough to bring the North back to the negotiating table.
"The humanitarian aid was already an exemption from the UN sanctions. Providing the North with food assistance is not significant enough to change the North's attitude."
The expert however added that North Korea previously responded to the food aid with humanitarian inter-Korean exchanges such as reunions for separated families.
Thus, with inter-Korean exchanges at a standstill, the aid may be able to spark something on that front.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their support for food aid to Pyeongyang.
Seoul announced its plans to begin reviewing the process.
According to our Lee Ji-won, while hope is high such efforts could bring the regime back to the negotiating table, some experts beg to differ.
The U.S. has said it will not intervene if South Korea decides to provide humanitarian aid to the North.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters this on Wednesday,... also reiterating that the maximum pressure campaign will continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump had also said he supported South Korea's plans to provide aid during his phone call with President Moon Jae-in earlier in the week.
A key Blue House official told reporters Wednesday that it is now starting to review the humanitarian food aid to the North.
Seoul's Unification Ministry also said that it will proceed with the aid through close coordination with the international community.
But it added that it's not yet at a stage to share how much aid will be given or how it will be delivered.
With such developments,... there are hopes that this could lead to some progress in the current stalemate between Pyeongyang and Washington.
At the Hanoi summit, North Korea asked for a step-by-step negotiation with sanctions alleviation as an early corresponding measure,... and the U.S. requested an overall roadmap from the North before any sanctions relief.
And recently, the North has said it wants a guarantee of its regime's security in exchange for denuclearization.
Amid the atmosphere getting increasingly tense due to the North's recent firings of several projectiles,... some experts say the humanitarian aid could help soften the mood.
"It won't directly prompt the North to move, but it is a friendly gesture from the leaders of Seoul and Washington, so it shows their willingness to continue talks as well as setting the atmosphere for it."
But some experts say it won't be enough to bring the North back to the negotiating table.
"The humanitarian aid was already an exemption from the UN sanctions. Providing the North with food assistance is not significant enough to change the North's attitude."
The expert however added that North Korea previously responded to the food aid with humanitarian inter-Korean exchanges such as reunions for separated families.
Thus, with inter-Korean exchanges at a standstill, the aid may be able to spark something on that front.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.