Now for an expert's take on the latest inter-Korean exchanges and politics behind the upcoming
Winter Games,...
Dr. Shin Sang-hyup, Professor of Pan-Pacific International Studies at Kyung Hee University,
joins us in the studio.
Thank you so much Dr. Shin for coming in today.
Q1 So the two-day joint training session of ski
athletes from both Koreas was held at North Korea’s much talked-about Masikryong Ski
Resort.
And today, another North Korean team, including 10 athletes who will compete at the Pyeongchang
Winter Games, has also arrived here in
South Korea.
How do you assess the latest inter-Korean exchanges so far?
Q2 About the abrupt cancellation of a joint inter-Korean
event that was supposed to be held at Mount Kumgang Resort,...
North Korea reportedly cited the South Korean media’s way of covering North Korea's participation
in the Pyeongchang Olympics as one reason.
What do you think is their tactic behind this?
Q3 The chartered plane with South Korean athletes
on board couldn’t take off until the very last minute due to Washington’s independent
sanctions imposed on North Korea bound flights.
The South Korean government later explained that the U.S. made an exception for that chartered
plane, but many question why the arrangement couldn’t have been made sooner.
Your thoughts?
Q4 Then can we say that the U.S. is somewhat
discomforted by the recent thaw in inter-Korean relations at a time when they’re pushing
for ‘maximum pressure’ on the North Korean regime?
Q5 Now to U.S. President Trump’s State of the
Union speech.
He was much smoother, but still he doubled down on his hard-line policy on North Korea.
How do you interpret his speech?
Q6 Some 26 heads of state will be visiting Pyeongchang
during the Winter Games, which is now just about a week away.
And President Moon Jae-in will likely discuss much more than figure skating and speed skating
with those leaders.
What do you think will be his primary goal when holding those multilateral talks?
Q7 It’s also important that President Moon
shows the world that South Korea is sticking to the 'sanctions & pressure' policy on the
Kim Jong-un regime.
How do you think the Moon administration could show that to the world during and after the
Olympics?
Q8 The withdrawal of Victor Cha as the Trump administration's nominee for U.S. ambassador
to South Korea has sparked concerns here, as he's known to have warned the White House
against a preventive military strike.
Does that imply that the U.S. is looking for someone who would agree to the idea of a preventive
military strike?
Q9 Any possibility of the U.S. and North Korea
holding talks during the PyeongChang Olympics?
Some say it is very unlikely, while others say that
the Olympics is the best time for the two sides to meet.
Q10 President Moon Jae-in has said that
the recent inter-Korean talks are an important first step in thawing inter-Korean relations,
and that he would gradually build up to the talks so the two Koreas can ultimately discuss
the denuclearization of
North Korea.
How
long
until
the two
Koreas touch upon that issue?