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Rep. Ko Min-jung, lawmaker with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, answers questions in a recent interview with The Korea Times at her office in National Assembly, Yeouido, Seoul. Courtesy of Ko's office

By Kim Yoo-chul

Near the border between the two Koreas, North Korea has ramped up launches of its advanced missiles, including the extensive testing of intercontinental ballistic missile systems (ICBM) with the potential to carry nuclear warheads targeting the U.S. mainland.

But on the opposite front, South Korea's government still isn't ruling out the possibility of providing substantial economic support to persuade its northern neighbor to drop these nuclear programs.

Talks aimed at denuclearizing the North have stalled because negotiations collapsed at a summit in 2019, leading North Korea to focus more on advancing its nuclear development programs. Intelligence officials in Seoul and Washington expect North Korea will imminently conduct its seventh nuclear test which will be its first since 2017.

Despite the North's unwillingness to accept President Yoon Suk-yeol's "Audacious Plan" ― economic improvements in accordance with the progress of denuclearization steps ― the Kim Jong-un regime has no interest in pursuing economic assistance if it requires sacrificing regime security. Therefore, Seoul should quickly resume its nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang, according to a lawmaker with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

Footage of a North Korean military exercise is seen in a news program on a TV screen at Seoul Station in Seoul, Oct. 19, 2022. AP-Yonhap

"Since President Yoon took power, there were no messages in terms of helping North Korea return to talks. The consequences of this stance are that the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is on red alert. The only answer in breaking the current impasse is an early resumption of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea returning to talks," Rep. Ko Min-jung of DPK, who served as a senior aide to former President Moon Jae-in, told The Korea Times in a recent interview at her office in the National Assembly, Yeouido.

According to the lawmaker, the denuclearization of North Korea is still a prerequisite to bringing peace to the peninsula. However, she warned of shortfalls from an "action-for-action" stance against the North being pursued by the incumbent Yoon administration.

"This kind of stance, I believe, has a lot of loopholes as North Korea wants to justify its wish to be recognized as a nuclear weapons state," she said.

Stressing the importance of bilateral ties with the U.S. in terms of ensuring Washington's extended deterrence guarantees, Ko said the idea of South Korea having its own nuclear capabilities will downgrade Washington-Seoul relations.

"Seoul is required to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) if it wants to develop its own nuclear programs. How can we withhold and handle criticism and opposition from the international community by doing so?" she stated.

In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, top center, four South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets and four US Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula during a joint air drill called "Vigilant Storm," in South Korea on Nov. 5, 2022. AP-Yonhap

While South Korea has been delivering stern warnings and enacting economic sanctions against North Korea over its latest artillery and missile tests this year, while strengthening ties with the United States, the DPK lawmaker asked Yoon's foreign policy teams to expand their diplomatic outreach to the ASEAN bloc, as well as China.

"Regarding South Korea's relations with Japan, as there had been a lot of human rights abuses and violations affecting South Korean laborers and women during World War II, it's necessary for Tokyo to become more courageous in terms of communicating with the victims and leveling up its efforts to handle these issues in a genuine way. No one wants to see a deterioration of Seoul-Tokyo ties," she answered.

Responding to a question over the ongoing controversy about the presidential office suspending Yoon's daily meetings with the press, with the South Korean leader accusing local broadcaster MBC of being a hostile media outlet, the lawmaker said the public's right to information should be ensured.

Ko, a member of the DPK's supreme council, went on to say that she was regretful about the arrest of a former national security adviser on allegations of covering up the case of a government fisheries official apparently killed by the North Korean military in 2020.

Suh Hoon, who is said to have reliable contacts with top North Korean officials, was accused of ordering the manipulation of intelligence reports and some facts concerning the killing of the government official, known by his surname Lee, who was shot dead. The former Moon Jae-in government said Lee attempted to defect to the North because of personal issues. However, Lee's family claimed he was killed because the government didn't try harder to save his life.

"This case illustrates the fact that we have a government which has arrived at exactly opposite conclusions based on the same information. That means the current administration can overturn diplomatic achievements that have so far been sealed with the United States, China, Japan and Russia. This case, again, may raise trust issues," she said.

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