The director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Won Sei Hoon says that South Korea is still open to the suggestion of an inter-Korean summit, saying, “We always maintain an attitude of dialogue, and make a continual effort to that end.”
Won’s words were released by Grand National Party lawmaker Hwang Jing Ha at a party meeting this morning, quoting Won’s reply to a question of whether the possibility of an inter-Korean summit has disappeared altogether in the current environment. Won made his statement at a hearing of the Intelligence Committee of the National Assembly yesterday.
Although Won refused to comment on any specific efforts towards a summit that might be being made, he did point out wryly, “Although inter-Korean Red Cross and military talks on a working level have been held, it is hard to get to a summit via such talks.”
He added, “I believe we need to prepare a bigger frame.”
Noting his comments, some experts criticize the fact that even though problems such as the shooting in the Mt. Geumgang tourist area in 2008 and the Cheonan incident remain unsettled, the government seems to be interested only in the possibility of an inter-Korean Summit.
Lee Sang Hyun, a researcher with the Sejong Institute in Seoul told The Daily NK, “Given what the NIS director said, I have a feeling that there may have been a certain secret process,” and added, “From the point of view of the Lee Myung Bak administration, which is facing the third year of its term in the next year, they might be hoping to hold a summit this year, so they seem to be rushing.”
He cautioned, however, “We need to think sincerely about what we can earn from a summit.”
Park Young Ho, chair of the Center for North Korean Studies at KINU, added, “Director Won’s comments about discussing it in a bigger frame may mean that we need to thaw out the current frozen inter-Korean relations.”
“It may not just be for the purpose of holding a summit in the current inter-Korean relations situation.”
Regardless, he emphasized, “We can discuss pending problems by providing North Korea with another opportunity, even though the Cheonan incident and the shooting of Park Wang Ja have not yet been solved.”
