South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se’s proposal for a three-way strategic dialogue with China and the United States has been well-received by Bejing. In addition, South Korea and China have agreed to open a hotline for strategic communications.
“I see this trip as the beginning of high-level communications between South Korea, the United States and China on the North Korean problem,” Minsiter Yun told reporters immediately after his meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the 24th. “Among several ways to strengthen strategic communications, we reached agreement on a hotline.”
Such a three-way dialogue would augment existing bilateral connections between South Korea and the U.S., South Korea and China and the U.S. and China. It would mark the achievement of a long-standing goal of the South Korean government, one that President Park Geun Hye promoted during her campaign for the presidency.
Park Hyung Jung, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification told Daily NK, “From China’s perspective they will pay for this with deteriorating relations with North Korea. When this becomes reality, we would be right to evaluate it as a courageous decision by China.”
Park went on, “Fundamental change is unavoidable in North Korean foreign policy, and China is persuading them of this. This is an effective form of pressure on North Korea.”
“China, which has a special relationship with North Korea, gave a surprisingly positive response to the three-way dialogue with South Korea and U.S.,” Professor Kim Hyung Wook of Korea National Diplomatic Academy agreed.
Professor Kim predicted, “Only when one consistent voice comes from the three countries will denuclearization happen, as well as reform and opening in North Korea. Also, only then can a common consensus on the unification of the Korean Peninsula be achieved.”
