AS NORTH Korea confirmed its reclusive leader Kim Jong-il had indeed made a not-so-secret visit to ally China, leaders in Beijing began to lobby other regional players to resume long-stalled talks on ending the North’s nuclear ambitions.
China’s call for a resumption of the six-party talks, including both Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US, came as South Korea offered a major aid donation to its impoverished neighbour.
At the same time, Seoul welcomed Washington's decision to impose fresh sanctions aimed at the government in Pyongyang. The South effectively cut most of its ties with Pyongyang after accusing the North of torpedoing the Cheonanwarship in March, killing 46 sailors, and demanding an apology.
North Korea denies sinking the corvette.
However, there are hopeful signs. The resumption of talks combined with Seoul’s multi-million-dollar aid offer to help with flood relief could help to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The offer of 10 billion won (€6.6 million) in aid to North Korea was made to alleviate suffering, after heavy rains in July and August in its northern and eastern provinces forced thousands from their homes and inundated farmland.
It appears that Mr Kim’s visit to China, an open secret but a secret nonetheless, also helped bring forward the resumption of nuclear talks, as it appears he said he remained committed to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and was keen to resume aid-for-disarmament talks.
Beijing’s nuclear envoy Wu Dawei met his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo yesterday, and he said they agreed “to work together with the others to push forward the resumption of the six-party talks as soon as possible”.
Talks could resume in stages, with the North holding bilateral talks with the US first – something they have long sought – and the rest of the countries joining in later.
The US implemented targeted sanctions this week which froze the US assets of four North Korean citizens and eight firms, which are specifically aimed at North Korean organisations that trade in conventional arms and luxury products and that are thought to counterfeit US currency.
North Korea is believed to have two fairly basic nuclear weapons.
Mr Kim will now set about getting ready for a major party conference which should cement his plans to have his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, succeed him in what is the world’s only communist dynasty.
International sanctions have put a lot of pressure on North Korea, which has been in the doldrums since the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite assistance from China which has helped to prop up the regime.