South Korea, the Six Party Talks, and Relations with the Major Powers
233race.^43 In other words, 2013 did not prove to be the most trustworthy
beginning on which to base a policy called “trustpolitik.”
Still, Park’s policy has promise, and is perhaps the only way forward
following the attempts and failures of past policies and practices. To
successfully carry out “trustpolitik,” the regional actors party to the SPT
will all need to play their roles as well. After a five-year suspension, new
tensions have arisen not only between the two Koreas, but within the
wider group as well. Japan and South Korea, for example, have faced
renewed and heightened tensions over Dokdo/Takeshima Island, and
Japanese Prime Minister Abe has angered Koreans over remarks about
World War II. Despite these issues, all six countries continue to have a
strong interest in stability on the peninsula, and recent and upcoming
events suggest that progress may well occur in the not-too-distant future.
Park’s policy proposal was warmly received in Washington in May 2013,
and in November 2013 the two parties met to discuss the possible
resumption of the Six-Party Talks.^44 Another player in the SPT, Russian
President Putin visited Seoul in November to discuss a variety of issues.^45
To match the meeting between Seoul and Washington, North Korean
Foreign Minister Kim Hyong-Jun met in late October 2013 with Chinese
representatives in Beijing, and additional meetings occurred in
Washington between US and Chinese officials the same week.^46
For its part, China would probably like to see the SPT resume more
than any of the other parties, but this may be one reason why the US and
South Korea have been skeptical about recommencing with the Talks.
China’s aid is essential to North Korea, and while China has taken steps
towards enforcing UN sanctions and cutting some business with Korean
banks, Seoul and Washington remain skeptical about China’s reliability as
an ally in the Talks.^47 While relations between South Korea and China
have improved under Park’s presidency, China remains a loyal trading
partner with the North.^48 Realistically, keeping both the North and South
in check is of priority to a nation that arguably sees itself as the rightful
regional hegemon and would not benefit from a more destabilized
peninsula.
The recent high-level meetings and the rhetoric, albeit inconsistent,
from both the North and South about a possible diplomatic way forward,
(^43) “Special Report: Nuclear North Korea: Bad or Mad?”
(^44) “Negotiations Begin Over Resumption of Six-Party Talks.”
(^45) “Putin to Visit Korea in Mid-November.”
(^46) “N.Korea’s Vice FM...,” Arirang News, 2013.
(^47) “South Korea and the United States: Park’s Progress.”
(^48) “Special Report: Nuclear North Korea: Bad or Mad?”