Suh Hoon, nominated as head of South Korea's spy agency, speaks at a parliamentary confirmation hearing.[Yonhap News Photo]
South Korea's new spy chief ruled out any early inter-Korean summit talks, citing an unfavorable diplomatic situation caused by North Korea's aggressive push for the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons despite strong international sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
President Moon Jae-in who advocates cross-border reconciliation and exchanges has held out peace overtures, suggesting in his inaugural speech on May 10 that he was willing to visit Pyongyang apparently for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "under the right circumstances".
Kim has shown an indifferent attitude, resorting to its trademark brinkmanship with the launch of ballistic missiles as well as a blatant order to step up the development of nuclear weapons targeting the United States.
At a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Monday, Suh Hoon, nominated as director of the National Intelligence Service, complained that Pyongyang was hurting the mood for inter-Korean dialogue. "Various conditions must be met at the initial stage, but the current situation is not so good to kickstart dialogue," he said.
Suh, who had visited Pyongyang many times to arrange summit talks between South and North Korean leaders in 2000 and 2007, described the North's nuclear program as "the most stringent issue" the Seoul government should tackle. "It's not easy to arrange summit talks unless there is a decisive turning point in the nuclear issue."
Pyongyang has indicated it would stick to the long-standing policy of bypassing Seoul in negotiations with Washington on sensitive issues such as missiles, nuclear weapons, and a non-aggression accord.
Suh insisted on a peace accord involving the two Koreas, China and the United States but stressed it should not lead to the withdrawal of US troops stationed on the Korean peninsula. The two Koreas are still technically at war with no peace treaty signed after the 1950-53 conflict. " Without North Korea's denuclearization, we cannot accept a peace (accord)."
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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