For Q&A North Korea : Caption Pls. Contact Mr.Anucha Charoenpo 081-9124826 ------------------------------------------------------------------ ON THE RECORD With pix two of three pixes This year represents a significant year for the development of Asean-South Korea relations within South Korean President Moon Jae-in New Southern Policy, especially with the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between Asean and South Korea. While Thailand is the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) chairman this year. A series of interactions have been planned by both sides for the year, including cultural events, people-to-people exchanges, media visit programme , and the holding of both an Asean-South Korea Special Summit scheduled to take place in Busan on Nov 25-27. Under the media visit programme, Anucha Charoenpo was invited to South Korea to report on South Korea's efforts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. He talked to Suh Ho, Vice Minister of Unification of South Korea. The 45 -minute interview was conducted through a Korean-English interpreter. Q: Thailand this year is acting as the Asean chair. What sort of role do you want from Thailand to work with Asean in the denuclearisation of North Korea? How can Asean benefit if the peace process on the Korean Peninsula makes progress? A: If we can make North Korea to denuclearize, it will make Asean countries to be relieved that there will be no any war situation and other tensions. So it is not only easing the tensions but it also helps make the economy grow and prosper. Formerly, Korea, as a single nation, used to be colonized by Japan. Later we were divided into two countries. After independence as you already know South Korea has become an advanced economic country. It is a miracle that we became the country with economic prosperity ever. So, we have a policy to show North Korea that we became one of the advanced countries in Asia. We would like to deliver this message that we will support you, you can do that how we make the economy grow and prosper together. We are not going to push you to follow our system. We want to show North Korea how our economic situation is advancing. That is the first thing. I consider Thailand is one of the allies of South Korea when we would like North Korea to denuclearize. South Korea and the United States also support denuclearization. So if it happens, I believe economic prosperity will take place in Asia. Q: Can you explain the North –South Korea relation agreement and peace process in Korean Peninsula? What kind of the messages you will send to the 35th Asean Summit in Thailand and the Asean-South Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan next month respectively ? A: I would like to give you a brief introduction on what is happening on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean President Kim Jong-un has attended 15 summit meetings including three with South Korea, three with the United States, six with China, one with Russia, one with Singapore and one with Vietnam in different times and places. This shows that North Korea has become one of our allies to collaborate together. As for the summits, I would like to ask North Korean President Kim Jong-un to work closely and respond more with Asean nations. I strongly deliver the message about denuclearization to other partners at the summits. We need Asean to help us. We would like to invite him to Asean- South Korea summit meeting held in Bhusan in November so that he can deliver his message about denuclearization at the summit. I think simultaneously it will help build up trust in himself with nations in Asia. I also think his message will show an example of cooperation not only South Korea and North Korea but also other nations . Q: Have you sent an invitation to him, North Korean President Kim Jong-un? A: There are some ways that now we can deliver our wish to the North Korean leader. We have delivered our message to the media. I wish North Korean President Kim Jong- un will come to the Asean-South Korea summit in Busan. Q: United States President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in held a summit( in September) in New York during the United Nations General Assembly to discuss plans to restart US-North Korea talks and they said the negotiations could take place soon. Can it be possible that this kind of summit will be held in Thailand, like Singapore and Vietnam? A: I wish Thailand will be the next meeting venue but I can not make a decision on this matter. I will pray that the next summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean President will be held in Thailand. Thailand has beautiful weather and landscape. US President Donald Trump himself will choose the meeting venue. Q: During this South Korea trip, I went up to the Korean Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ) and the Joint Security Area ( JSA), also known as the Truce Village of Panmunjom. Has there been any change in the DMZ after North –South Korea Summit and North Korea- US Summit? A: Since the summit meetings were held. I perceived that two common things changed today. Military tensions in the area are easing and both countries have more trust with one another because we have never had communications with one another for a long time. We would like to go for not only socially, economically and culturally and at the same time we pursue the peace at the end. Q: Is there any possibility that the two countries will come back to restore the railway development to connect with one another at Dorasan Railway Station located from the southern boundary of the Korean Demilitarized Zone ? And what is your next plan about a family reunion? A: Part of the railway in North Korea is not maintained very well. So,it needs to be maintained first so that it can be restored and operated again. Yes, there is possibility that the railway will likely be resumed. As for the future family reunion, I can say that whenever we have meetings together we will raise up the matter as the top priority for talks. Q: Your president Moon Jae-in has said in 2017 that he will bring back the Sunshine Policy that was stopped by ex-president Lee Myung -bak in 2010. What is the progress of this promise and how much progress has been made so far? A: This current administration pursues the Sunshine Policy ( foreign policy to help North Korea for the economic prosperity). But I would like to elaborate into another engagement policy that we would like to help North Korea themselves to be changed. We would like to help them to denuclearize themselves first and then we can start to build the trust with one another. And we are going to help them out in what they want. There are issues being brought on the table what they exactly want, including economic assistance. Q: Can I ask you about North Korean defections. In Thailand in previous years so many North Korean came to Thailand, they crossed the North Korean border through China via Laos before entering into Thailand. They turned themselves into Thai police and always called for South Korean officials in Thailand to step in to help as they wanted to be relocated to South Korea. Do you have any policy to help these North Korean defectors? Can you explain? First of all, I would like to thank the Thai government for respecting basic human rights of the people especially that of those North Korean people. The Thai government helped protect them. At least they waited for us to help solve the problem together. I would like to deliver my appreciation to Thailand’s gesture and treatment over the matter. At this moment what our government is doing is when we received any news from the Thai government about when North Korean defectors want to travel to North Korea and we will help these defectors to settle down in South Korea. That is our policy at the moment. Q: How many North Korean defectors are there in South Korea? A :So far as far as I know there are about 34,000 North Korean defectors who left their country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This report is part of the Korea Press Foundation's Korea-Asean Joint News Coverage Programme. The 'Bangkok Post' worked independently, in collaboration with 'Hankook Ilbo', to produce this report. +++++++++++++++ Vice unification minister speaks about peace on peninsula Published caption:: South Korea’s Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho, back   right, is interviewed by Bangkok Post News Editor Anucha Charoenpo, back left, at his office in Seoul   about efforts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.