This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/world/asia/north-south-korea-dialogue.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
North Korea’s Recalcitrance Looms Over Talks With South North Korea’s Defiance Looms Over Talks
(about 11 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — When North and South Korean officials meet in Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday for their first high-level dialogue in six years, the South will face Kim Jong-un, a young leader more obstinate than his father on nuclear policy. SEOUL, South Korea — When North and South Korean officials meet in Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday for their first high-level dialogue in six years, the South will face a government with a nuclear policy that has become more recalcitrant than ever under its young new leader, Kim Jong-un.
The two sides intend to discuss reopening a joint industrial complex in a North Korean border town and other economic and humanitarian projects. The meeting will be the first dialogue at a senior level since Mr. Kim took power after the death in 2011 of his father, Kim Jong-il.The two sides intend to discuss reopening a joint industrial complex in a North Korean border town and other economic and humanitarian projects. The meeting will be the first dialogue at a senior level since Mr. Kim took power after the death in 2011 of his father, Kim Jong-il.
Under Mr. Kim, North Korea has declared that it is no longer interested in talks on ending its nuclear weapons program, and its ruling Workers’ Party adopted a national strategy of reviving the country’s moribund economy while continuing to expand its nuclear arsenal. Under the young Mr. Kim, North Korea has declared that it is no longer interested in talks on ending its nuclear weapons program, and its ruling Workers’ Party adopted a national strategy of reviving the country’s moribund economy while continuing to expand its nuclear arsenal.
‘'That may sound like nonsense to outsiders, but it makes perfect internal sense in North Korea,’’ said Bong Young-shik, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. ‘‘Giving up nuclear weapons is like abandoning the survival strategy for its regime. Giving up the economy is like giving up the role of the party as the mother of the people.'’ “That may sound like nonsense to outsiders, but it makes perfect internal sense in North Korea,” said Bong Young-shik, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. “Giving up nuclear weapons is like abandoning the survival strategy for its regime. Giving up the economy is like giving up the role of the party as the mother of the people.”
To achieve the economic part of its objective, North Korea needed its adversaries — especially South Korea, the country with the biggest potential for helping its economic recovery — to ease sanctions. But after years of dialogue failed to persuade North Korea to stop developing nuclear weapons, the adversaries have grown increasingly weary of engaging the country in another round of talks; they have focused, instead, on squeezing the country with more sanctions. To achieve the economic part of its objective, North Korea needed its adversaries — especially South Korea, the country with the biggest potential for helping its economic recovery — to ease sanctions. But after years of dialogue failed to persuade North Korea to stop developing nuclear weapons, the adversaries have grown increasingly weary of engaging the country in another round of talks. They have focused, instead, on pressuring the country with more sanctions.
There are signs that even a traditional ally, China, has grown frustrated with North Korea. After North Korea’s nuclear test in February, Beijing supported the United Nations’ move to impose more sanctions on the North, barred its state banks from dealing with the North’s Foreign Trade Bank and reportedly tightened its cross-border inspections. Even China, a traditional ally, has shown signs of frustration with North Korea. After North Korea’s nuclear test in February, Beijing supported the United Nations’ move to impose more sanctions on the North, barred its state banks from dealing with the North’s Foreign Trade Bank and reportedly tightened its cross-border inspections.
‘'Kim Jong-un realized that its old tactic of using provocations to extract concessions no longer works,'’ said Woo Seong-ji, a North Korea specialist at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. ‘‘So he is switching to dialogue to shake up the situation.'’ “Kim Jong-un realized that its old tactic of using provocations to extract concessions no longer works,” said Woo Seong-ji, a North Korea specialist at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. “So he is switching to dialogue to shake up the situation.”
After months of bellicose rhetoric, an agreement to have a dialogue created a sense of easing tensions on the divided peninsula. In an indication of a relaxing mood, a smiling female negotiator led the North Korean delegation to the border talks on Sunday to arrange the details of the high-level meeting. After months of bellicose talk, an agreement to have a dialogue, reached on Monday, created a sense of easing tensions on the divided peninsula.
The talks in Seoul will become major diplomatic tests for the new leaders of both sides, analysts said. The meeting is likely to help decide whether the two Koreas will move toward a thaw or continue the hostile relations marred in recent years by military attacks from the North and economic retaliations from the South. The talks in Seoul will become a major diplomatic test for the new leaders of both sides, analysts said. The meeting is likely to help decide whether the two Koreas will move further toward a thaw or maintain the hostile relations shaped in recent years by military attacks from the North and economic retaliations from the South.
Mr. Kim is trying to persuade the United States and its allies to accept his country as a nuclear power but still engage it with economic cooperation. President Park Geun-hye of South Korea has vowed to help end the North’s nuclear weapons program but also promised better ties with Pyongyang. From the experiences of her conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, she learned that voters were often unhappy with prolonged tensions, even if they were caused by the North. Mr. Kim is trying to persuade the United States and its allies to accept his country as a nuclear power but still engage it with economic cooperation. President Park Geun-hye of South Korea has vowed to help end the North’s nuclear weapons program, but also promised better ties with Pyongyang. From the experiences of her conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, she learned that voters were often unhappy with prolonged tensions, even if they were caused by the North.
The two Koreas agreed that in the talks in Seoul they would discuss reopening their joint industrial complex, as well as resuming cross-border tours and the Red Cross programs of reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. These projects were suspended as relations deteriorated under Mr. Lee.The two Koreas agreed that in the talks in Seoul they would discuss reopening their joint industrial complex, as well as resuming cross-border tours and the Red Cross programs of reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. These projects were suspended as relations deteriorated under Mr. Lee.
The industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and cross-border tours to the Diamond Mountain resort in southeastern North Korea had been two of the best-known symbols of South Korea’s past efforts to use economic cooperation to encourage the North to open up. But conservatives who supported Ms. Park remained skeptical of the projects that they believed provided hard currency for the North Korean regime.The industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and cross-border tours to the Diamond Mountain resort in southeastern North Korea had been two of the best-known symbols of South Korea’s past efforts to use economic cooperation to encourage the North to open up. But conservatives who supported Ms. Park remained skeptical of the projects that they believed provided hard currency for the North Korean regime.
They ‘'have done little to open up North Korea,’’ Kim Jin, an influential conservative columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, wrote on Monday. ‘‘Change was an illusion; the reality was dollars for the North.'’ They “have done little to open up North Korea,” Kim Jin, an influential conservative columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, wrote on Monday. “Change was an illusion; the reality was dollars for the North.”
Prominently absent in the agenda for the Korean talks was any direct mention of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, indicating how stubborn the North’s position remained on the issue.Prominently absent in the agenda for the Korean talks was any direct mention of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, indicating how stubborn the North’s position remained on the issue.
Washington urged North Korea to improve ties with South Korea.Washington urged North Korea to improve ties with South Korea.
But ‘'if the South moved too far ahead with inter-Korean economic cooperation, it would hurt its alliance with Washington,’’ Mr. Bong said. The United States wants to keep pressure building on the North to take serious steps toward denuclearization. But “if the South moved too far ahead with inter-Korean economic cooperation, it would hurt its alliance with Washington,” Mr. Bong said. The United States wants to keep pressure building on the North to take serious steps toward denuclearization.
South Korea said Monday that it had no illusion about the difficulties it faced in the talks.
‘'Our goal is to tackle issues one by one, starting with those that are easy to make a compromise over,’’ Chun Hae-sung, a senior government official, said at a news briefing Monday.