Election Follow-up and North Korea

On Thursday November 4, I spoke to a number of my Korean colleagues regarding the U.S. presidential election. With the election now behind us, the overarching concern among the Koreans was U.S. policy towards North Korea. Most hoped U.S. world not take military action.

This concern has been echoed in South Korea. For example Korea Times noted that top South Korean officials sought Friday to douse concerns that the re-election of U.S. President George W. Bush could exacerbate the North Korean nuclear crisis, predicting that Washington will persist with diplomacy and noting signs of flexibility from Pyongyang.

``I believe that North Korea is showing signs of changing after the U.S. election,'' Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was quoted as saying by Uri Party spokesman Im Jong-seok during a meeting of ruling party officials and security-related ministers at the Prime Minister's Office.


Minister Chung said the North recently indicated a willingness to allow South Korean businessmen to visit Pyongyang _ something it has refused since July _ and suggested holding a working-level meeting with civic group members on Nov. 20 to prepare for next year's anniversary celebrations for the June 15, 2000 inter-Korean summit.

Diplomats hoped this increasing flexibility following the election will also mark a change in Pyongyang's attitude towards the stalled nuclear talks.

``North Korea might take its foot off the brake as the traffic signal has now changed,'' a Seoul diplomat involved in the six-party negotiations told The Korea Times.

Lee Soo-hyuck, Seoul's chief delegate to the talks, said last week that informal or preparatory six-party consultations could be held soon.