Reconciling Mood
South and North Korea are feeling each other out concerning a summit meeting on the historic 70th anniversary of national liberation. Some experts even predict that the leaders of the two countries will meet each other at the World War II commemoration in Russia scheduled for May.
On Jan. 1, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that there is no reason Pyongyang and Seoul cannot have high-level talks if the situation permits. “The bilateral relations should have a new history based on a major shift,” he added.
President Park Geun-hye, likewise said late last year that she would put more effort toward peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula with the possibility of a summit meeting not ruled out. “I am ready to meet with Mr. Kim Jong-un, and Seoul is willing to help Pyongyang,” she mentioned at her interview with the Le Figaro on Nov. 2, adding, “However, we do not welcome a one-off event, because what matters is sincerity.”
In the meantime, Korea University professor and Unification Committee member Yoo Ho-yul commented that the North would not reject a meeting in Russia when it comes to the venue issue.