There's been a flurry of inter-Korea meetings on the Olympics since last week... and today,....
the two Koreas are meeting for the third time in less than 10 days.... to continue their
discussions on the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Games next month...
days ahead of talks with the International Olympic Committee on the matter.
Numerous issues are on the table today,... but let's get started by listening to what
the two sides had to say.... as they began their meeting.
(SOUNDBITES) (Korean)
"It's good to meet again after our first meeting last week, and like you just said, after our
meeting on January 9th, working-level talks were also held on sending North Korea's art
troupe to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and these talks ended well.
We hope the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics will foster
an Olympics of Peace and hopefully be a chance to improve inter-Korean relations by bringing
peace to the Korean Peninsula."
(Korean) "It's been a week since our last meeting.
It's a pleasure to meet you again.
It feels like we're back to June 15th, 2000 when the North-South Joint Declaration was
adopted.
Ties between the North and South, in reality, have been frozen and were in a state of confrontation
since 2008.
I believe it is the Korean peoples' will that relations return to normality."
And to tell us more about today's vice minister-level meeting...
we're now joined by Professor Kim Hyun-wook from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
Welcome to the program.
Pleasure to be here.
1- So what are some of the things that have been discussed at today's meeting.... and
what did the two sides agree on in regards to the North's participation in the Pyeongchang
Winter Olympics?
2- What
about the cost involved in bringing the North Korean delegation to the Games..... because
supporting the regime directly with cash.... would violate the framework of the UN Security
Council resolutions.... and other international sanctions against the North.
3- How about a joint appearance at the opening ceremony.... and a unified Korean women's
ice hockey team?
Now, during the second round of inter-Korea talks on Pyongyang's participation in the
games on Monday...
it's been agreed that North Korea will send a 1-hundred-40-member orchestra to perform
during the Winter Olympics.
The Samjiyon Band is expected to perform folk songs and pieces that call for the reunification
of the two Koreas.
And before we talk more about the band... let's take this time to get a look at the
band's performance.
(B-ROLL> )
4- So tell us more about this Samjiyon Band.... and what significance the band's attendance
at the Olympics holds.
5- And
the orchestra, along
with North Korean dancers and singers, is going to be performing in Seoul and Gangneung,
not in Pyeongchang.
Why so?
6- But then the event could be a source of controversy here in South Korea.... depending
on what songs the band decides to perform.
7- We also have the IOC meeting coming up on Saturday.....
where the two Koreas are expected to discuss the results of today's talks with the IOC
in Switzerland.
What can we expect from this meeting?
8- What impact will today's talks have on future bilateral talks between the two Koreas
then?
9- But ahead of the vice minister-level meeting...
North
Korea strongly condemned South Korean President Moon Jae-in today... for his latest remarks
on unwavering sanctions on North Korea's nuclear program.
What can we make of this?
10- North Korea, meanwhile, has reiterated that the return of
a dozen citizens who entered South Korea in 2016.... is
a precondition for resuming reunions of separated families.
But the
South Korean government refused
to send back
the North Korean defectors.
Where do you see this going?
Thank you
for your insight today.
Anytime.