South Korean President Moon Jae-in had a luncheon earlier Saturday with the North Koreans, while Pence declined opportunities for contact with South Korea’s neighbor to the north.
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The squad is the centrepiece of the South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s push to brand the games as the “peace Olympics” and his goal of increasing exchanges between the two neighbours – technically still in conflict since the end of the 1950-53 Korean war.
It’s the final stop on a six-day trip that Pence had hoped would increase pressure on North Korea as it seeks to use the games to pursue an opening with the South.
The U.S. did not issue any official statement on the invitation, but the Washington Post quoted Pence on his way home from the visit over the weekend that Washington was open to initial talks with North Korea.
Pence, who left South Korea on Saturday, told reporters traveling with him that Moon had informed him about the meeting with North Korean officials. Reviving inter-Korean talks is key to the polices of Moon, who says South Korea should be in the driver’s seat in global efforts to deal with the North’s nuclear threat.
The recent detente, anchored by South Korea’s hosting of the Winter Olympic Games that began on Friday, came despite an acceleration in the North’s weapons programmes previous year and pressure from Seoul’s allies in Washington.
During his swearing-in ceremony past year, Moon said he would be willing to travel to Pyongyang “under the right conditions”, and that “for peace on the Korean Peninsula, I will do everything that I can do”.
The protesters set the flag alight along with a portrait of Kim Jong Un, whose sister was due to watch a Northern musical display with the South’s President at a nearby theatre in Seoul.
North Korea’s parade on Thursday was held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country’s military, and featured hundreds of choreographed soldiers marching in formation, rows of missiles and lines of tanks.
They stood from their seats and, smiling, shook each other by the hand.
Other members of the North Korean delegation present at Saturday’s meeting included Ri Son Gwon – who led the first sit-down talks at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) earlier this year, and Choe Hwi. The Koreas could potentially talk about a South Korean special envoy meeting Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang or even a summit between Moon and Kim. “North Korea is skilfully driving a wedge between the U.S., Japan and South Korea”.
Officials said the image was of a generic “good-looking man”, which the cheerleaders wore while singing the man’s part of a North Korean love song.
Moon apparently cited the conditions necessary for an inter-Korean summit.
But Moon, a liberal who has always wanted to engage the North, will also have to convince a good portion of his own people who are deeply wary about North Korean intentions.
But North Korea’s bad record on human rights and the growing threat from its nuclear weapons program appeared out of mind.
Hours before Friday’s opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, Japan’s Abe warned Moon not to fall for North Korea’s “smile diplomacy” during the Olympics, according to Moon’s office.
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The North Korean delegation that arrived in the South on leader Kim Jong Un’s private jet also includes his sister Kim Yo Jong.
