Korean Peninsula draws global attention

Analysts and observers saw an interesting development in Korean Peninsula earlier this month following the visit of a South Korean delegation, led by Director of South Korean National Security Chung Eui-Yong as special envoy of South Korean President, to Pyongyang of North Korea. The team from South went to meet the leader of the North notwithstanding the threats and sanctions imposed against the North regime only a couple days back by the US, a close ally of the South.

The latest visit is preceded by the earlier visit of North Korean athletes' delegation, led by Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North's Supreme Leader, to take part in Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang of South Korea. The North delegation also included nominal head of state Kim Yong Nam. Kim Yo Jong along with nominal head of state of the North attended the Olympics inaugural ceremony and had tete-a-tete with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Presidential palace in Seoul. They also invited South Korean President to make a visit to her brother Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. Sister of the Supreme Leader was the first member from North Korean dynasty to set foot in South Korea since the end of Korean War in 1953.

The present visit by a South delegation to the North follows an olive branch offering from North leader King Jong Un in his new year message to re-start inter-Korean talks to ease military tensions in the Peninsula. The North Korean leader cordially received the South Korean delegation prior to the talks between the two sides. South Korean envoy handed over a hand-written letter of South Korean President to the North Korean Supreme Leader. The South President in his letter expressed hopes for peace in the Peninsula. The North delegation was, however, led by General Kim Yong Chol, who is in charge of Inter-Korean Affairs from North Korean ruling Worker's Party in Pyongyang.

Talks between the countries appeared to be in a positive vein as disclosed by special envoy of South Korean President Chung Eui-Yong at a press conference in Seoul later on. Both the Koreas have agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit at the truce village of Panmunjom at the end of April. Prior to that summit, the two Koreas decided to hold meetings of working level officials to finalise detailed plan of the summit while two Koreas agreed to set up a hotline between the leaders in an effort to ease military tensions in Korean Peninsula. As a matter of fact, this will be the third such summit between South and North Korean leaders. The first such summit took place between South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong IL on June 13-15, 2000 while the second such summit took place between South Korean President Roh Mon-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong IL on October 2-4, 2007.

Meanwhile, the prospect of a dialogue between North Korea and the United States has brightened following the two-day inter-Korean talks in Pyongyang. North Korea has agreed to have talks with the United States, but the Supreme Leader wants to be recognised as a serious partner. The North also agreed to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula provided the country is assured of its sovereignty.

Having seen progress in the talks, North Korean close neighbour and biggest ally China welcomed the progress in bilateral talks while President Trump in a tweet said, "possible progress being made in the talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made." A delegation from South Korea, led by special envoy, would brief the US policy makers on the talks held in Pyongyang.

Many think the current peace efforts made to normalise relations with the South and the US by North Korean leadership is the effect of recent tough economic sanctions by the Security Council, apart from the latest stringent economic sanctions imposed by the US on February 23 this year targeting 28 registered ships in China and seven other countries in an effort to cut off North Korea's imports of oil and exports of coal. As a result, North Korea, which is in bankruptcy and where people are starving practically, failed to maintain its rigid stance and survive by hook or by crook. Ironically, President Trump, who was on record to have ridiculed the North Korean leader time and again, accepted the invitation of North Korea to talk about denuclearisation of Korean peninsula. It is hoped that the present leader of North Korea would not repeat what his father did in 2003 withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The six-party talks, initiated by then US President George W Bush, came to an end later when North Korea in a statement said that they would not allow nuclear inspections "unless the United States' hostile policy and nuclear threat to North Korea are fundamentally terminated."

After an inter-Korean summit scheduled at the truce village of Panmunjom at the end of April, the US and North Korean leaders are likely to meet in May this year. President Donald Trump should, however, be given some credit for apparently forcing the North Korean Supreme Leader to take the backseat after almost thirty years of failed diplomacy. Let us hope that Korean peninsula would be denuclearised and people would live in peace. This hope will be realised if the present regime of North Korea's Kim Jong Un abstains from following the footsteps of his father.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain is a retired Bangladeshi diplomat and former President of Nova

Toastmaster International club of America.

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