[imText1]Political leaders are feeling tensions rising as the second Inter-Korea Summit Talks is postponed until October despite the upcoming presidential elections within the following two months.

It seems that North Korea requested the postponement of the summit due to the flood restoration relief. However, the influence is likely to increase as October is nearer to the presidential elections.

From Sept 15th to Oct 14th, the ruling party will hold competitive elections to choose the candidate of each party for presidential election in December which many argue will have significant affect or other.

◆ “Direct impact on the presidential elections” = Throughout the past, the South Korea government and the Uri Party sought to create an atmosphere to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue and rectify peaceful South-North relations.

If this occurs, presidential candidates of the Grand National Party who in the past have pushed for a fundamental position against North Korea’s nuclear issue will have to create an image that they prefer seemingly tension over confrontation in comparison to the candidate from the ruling party.

Spokesperson for the GNP, Na Kyung Won said on the 19th, “If the Inter-Korea Summit felt pressed for time, the talks could have evaded North Korea’s flood damages and relocated to Seoul or Kaesung” and asserted, “At the least, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstandings if the summit had been postponed until after the presidential election. Early October is the time when candidates’ elections of the ruling party for the presidential election will be reaching a climax. The talks will experience a dual synergy effect with the presidential elections.”

Yoo Ho Yul, a professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University, said in a telephone conversation with the DailyNK, “There is a high chance that North Korea issues and the like will become critical issues by October in face with the presidential elections. Hence, the summit will have indirect impact on the presidential elections” and suggested, “Candidates will benefit from the Summit talks if it is able to draw an agreement on North Korea’s nuclear issue and peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Professor Yoo said, “It will be difficult for the Inter-Korea Summit agreement to have a large enough effect to shake the presidential election domain, however it will have some affect on the decisive actions and proposals made against the peace issue.”

Another professor of a national policy research institute who wished to remain anonymous said, “It is difficult to say to what extent the October summit will have on the presidential elections at this point in time” and explained, “The Inter-Korea Summit Talks may affect the candidates of the election and the agenda of the Grand National Party. The Summit will affect both parties who will be faced with great responsibility.”

◆ “North Korea, keeping the December Presidential Elections in mind” = North Korea would have deliberated the fact that South Korea was facing presidential elections when it considered postponing the Summit Talks. In the official letter, North Korea changed the date of the Summit to mid-October.

Professor Yoo said, “If it wasn’t for the flood, the Summit will have taken place as planned” and analyzed, “While being in a position of postponing the talks as a result of the flood and simultaneously receiving assistance from the international community and people of South Korea, North Korea would have had some motive to change the greater political perspective through the Summit.”

The professor of a research institute said, “We cannot say that North Korea postponed the Summit Talks in order to influence the presidential elections, however, North Korea would have made some calculations since the summit does take on an overall political perspective.”

The professor added, “The significance of the second Summit has counterbalanced the first and there is a high chance that an agreement between the South and North in plain terms would have an adverse wind on the ruling party and have no impact on the presidential elections.”