The Washington Post columnist Josh Login said in a column on the 25th (local time) that he was concerned that Moon’s political prowess and President Biden’s prudence could directly conflict. [중앙포토]
– The’term gap’ between President Moon Jae-in, who has entered the second half of his term, and US President Joe Biden, who has just started his term, is emerging as a new variable in the cooperation between the United States and Korea. President Moon has stepped up to speed battle, saying that he will resume the peace process on the Korean Peninsula within this year, while President Biden has consistently maintained a cautious attitude by reconsidering the policy toward North Korea. According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 25th (local time), the Biden administration has not yet made official contact with North Korea until the 50th day of its inauguration.
Several processes and procedures remain until the Biden administration comes into direct contact with North Korea. In addition to reviewing the overall policy toward North Korea, the direction of the policy toward North Korea, which advocated a’new strategy’, must be determined, and cooperation with the alliance and consultations with neighboring countries such as China and Russia are also necessary. On the other hand, President Moon, whose term is about to expire in May next year, is in need of tangible results to prove as a result of the efforts of the past four years that made’peace on the Korean Peninsula’ a top priority in diplomacy. This is the reason why WP diplomatic and security columnist Josh Login said in a column on the 25th that “the patience of Pyongyang and Seoul is weakening.”
In particular, Login expressed concern that Moon’s political urgency in relation to the speed difference between South Korea and the United States in relation to North Korea policy could directly conflict with President Biden’s prudence. It is feared that the difference in positions between President Moon, who is trying to achieve results of North Korea’s denuclearization within his term of office, and President Biden, who focused on examining the domestic situation and strengthening the alliance rather than policy toward North Korea, could spark a conflict between the two countries. In this regard, Login predicted that the Biden administration’s reconsideration of North Korea policy will continue until this summer, and analyzed that “the long silence of the United States could be broken by the sound of an explosion caused by North Korea’s new nuclear test.”
In-young Lee in a hurry to “reevaluate the effects of sanctions against North Korea”
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Unification Minister Lee In-young emphasized the need to re-evaluate the effects of sanctions on North Korea in an interview with the British Financial Times reported on the 26th (local time) and said, “It’s time to see whether the sanctions contribute positively to the successful North Korean denuclearization process.” [연합뉴스]
– The urgency of the Moon Jae-in administration is clearly seen in the movement to expand the provisions of sanctions exceptions to North Korea. Unification Minister Lee In-young said in an interview with the British Financial Times (FT) reported on the 26th, “In preparation for a potential crisis (North Korea), we must re-evaluate the effects of sanctions that have been strengthened by the United States since 2016. It seems the time has come to see if it contributes positively to the North Korean denuclearization process.”
In an interview, Minister Lee made such a remark on the premise that North Korea would not use humanitarian aid for nuclear development, and emphasized the need to persuade the international community to gain consensus. However, while the US holding the key is in the process of reviewing North Korea policy, South Korea’s Unification Minister’s remarks mentioning the expansion of sanctions exceptions to North Korea may be interpreted as a remark that negatively evaluates the sanctions themselves.
Meanwhile, through the column, Login also presented the prospects of the US State Department’s personnel on the Korean Peninsula. Login said that Seong Kim, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, may take the position as an official vice-secretary of state with the agency label in the future, or as a special representative of the State Department to North Korea, which is vacant. In the event that Actress Sung Kim is appointed as the official assistant secretary, the leadership positions of the US Department of State’s East Asian-Pacific leadership will be filled with Korean descent along with Deputy Assistant Secretary Jung Park. Login also analyzed that there is a possibility that if the nominee of the Department of State Wendy Sherman passes the Senate approval hearing, there is a possibility that he will concurrently serve as a special representative to North Korea. Immediately before, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegan also served as Special Representative to North Korea.
Reporter Jeong Jin-woo [email protected] 
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