G20 Summit expected to generate new momentum for N. Korea diplomacy
  • 5 years ago
Many eyes will be on the U.S.-China trade talks at the G20 gathering... with North Korea issues also expected to be at the center of discussions.
And there's growing anticipation President Moon Jae-in could help to kickstart the stalled nuclear talks.
Park Hee-jun reports.
Dubbed the 'denuclearization super-week',... the G20 Summit in Osaka kicks off this Friday... with hopes of reviving nuclear talks on North Korea.
During the G20, President Moon Jae-in is expected to focus on gauging where Kim Jong-un currently stands,... as he meets both the leaders of China and Russia.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping met the North Korean leader in Pyeongyang last week,... while Russian President Vladimir Putin also held a summit with Kim in Vladivostok in April.
Both are likely to deliver Kim's thoughts to President Moon,... which Moon will use to take the lead in mediating between North Korea and the U.S.
But he still has a lot of work cut out for him,... in finding ways to negotiate the North's nuclear disarmament.

"In the talks between the U.S. and South Korea, the idea which came out commonly is that they have to come up with a big deal first, then an implementation level that can be small talk-based negotiations. So these ideas are something we have to take a look at, whether the three leaders can come up with a commonizing ideas."

Presidents Trump and Xi will also meet.
At the center of their hegemonic battle over trade tensions,... will be how China might leverage its recent interactions with Kim.
Experts expect Xi to reassure his American counterpart... that Chairman Kim is still willing to continue the nuclear talks.

"North Korea's denuclearization will be just a small issue among other major ones, including the trade conflict. I don't think that alone will drive the momentum for denuclearization. But President Xi is likely to reaffirm that it supports the North's denuclearization and efforts to achieve that through dialogue."

It is unlikely that the G20 summit will provide a major turning point.
But the sit-down between presidents Moon and Trump in Seoul right after the G20,... is expected to add new momentum on the diplomatic front pertaining to North Korea.
Concrete results are more likely to be yielded... from Pyeongyang and Washington's working-level talks,... but the general belief is that a united front between Moon and Trump... could be enough to bring the North Korean leader back to the negotiating table.

Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.
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