China Urges Political Resolution to Ease Korean Peninsula Tensions
Concerning North Korea’s recent actions, such as declaring South Korea as a “hostile contending state” and continuing missile provocations, which are escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, China reaffirmed its stance that it “consistently supports the improvement of relations between North Korea and South Korea.”
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Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answered a question about North Korea’s policy adjustment towards South Korea at a regular briefing on the 5th, saying, “We are paying attention to the related situation.” Specifically, he stated, “The declaration of North Korea’s related policies is a matter of North Korean sovereignty. China consistently supports the improvement of relations between North Korea and South Korea. There are reasons why the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached this point today. The tension of the peninsula situation does not coincide with the common interests of the related parties.”
He added, “Each party should face the other and maintain the big direction of political resolution. We must jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the peninsula.” It can be seen as emphasizing the need for dialogue between North and South Korea.
Ahead of this, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un had directed a cleanup of pro-South agencies after defining the inter-Korean relationship as a “hostile contending state relationship” at the end of last year’s Workers’ Party plenary meeting. Accordingly, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF), the National Economic Cooperation Bureau, and the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Bureau, inter-Korean dialogue and economic cooperation agencies, will soon be abolished. Also, the Ministry of Unification, which has been in charge of policies and operations towards South Korea, is expected to be merged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In particular, among these agencies, the CPRF, an external organization of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which was formed by 33 representatives of North Korea’s political parties, social organizations, and various sectors on May 13, 1961, is expected to disappear after a long history of 63 years. About this, Mr. Park, a Korean-Chinese businessman working on inter-Korean economic cooperation projects in Beijing, said, “It’s regrettable. I can’t help but feel that the window for inter-Korean dialogue has completely closed. We need to revive the spark of dialogue,” and suggested that both North Korea and South Korea need to take one step back. However, it doesn’t seem easy given the current atmosphere.
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