Secret pre-vote spy talks sought to calm North
Undercover visit meant to assure Pyongyang on Lee’s intentions
Jan 10,2008
On the eve of last month’s presidential election, the Roh Moo-hyun administration informed North Korea that it expected Lee Myung-bak’s victory and tried to ease worries by assuring Pyongyang of Lee’s ability to persuade conservatives to continue the engagement with the North, a transcript of secret talks between the intelligence chiefs of the two Koreas showed yesterday.
The JoongAng Ilbo obtained a copy of a National Intelligence Service report on the meeting, which was given to Lee’s transition team on Saturday. The report detailed the secret visit of Kim Man-bok, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service chief, to Pyongyang on Dec. 18, including the transcript of Kim’s dialogue with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yang-gon.
During Kim Man-bok’s quick trip to Pyongyang, he met twice with Kim Yang-gon to discuss the future of inter-Korean relations after the presidential election on Dec. 19. Kim crossed the border at Panmunjom at 6:30 a.m. and returned at 5 p.m.
“Currently, many inter-Korean dialogues are taking place. We hope to maintain smooth inter-Korean relations,” Kim Yang-gon was quoted in the report as telling the South Korean spy chief.
“Inter-Korean relations have moved smoothly after the second inter-Korean summit. Even if a new administration takes over in the South, it will go well,” Kim Man-bok replied. He also gave the North Korean spy chief his prediction for the election. “Tomorrow, it is almost certain that the Grand National Party’s Lee Myung-bak will win,” he said. “However, the GNP’s North Korea policy will not change much. It is for reconciliation and cooperation.
“Furthermore, Lee is very capable of persuading the conservatives, so his administration may be able to push forward a stronger engagement policy than the Roh administration,” Kim Man-bok said.
Perhaps based on the talks, North Korea has not complained about the conservative victory in the South. In its New Year’s Day editorial, the North only focused on the economy. “The two Koreas must join their power to open a new era of independent unification, peace and prosperity,” the editorial said.
The position is different from last year when the North said that a GNP presidential victory should be stopped at all cost, urging the South to fight against the conservatives to achieve unification.
During their meeting, Kim Yang-gon also asked if his South Korean counterpart will keep his job under the new administration. Kim Man-bok said no. “When a new administration is launched, I will be replaced immediately. That is the basic order of South Korean society,” Kim Man-bok said.
By Chae Byung-gun, Chung Kang-hyun JoongAng Ilbo [myoja@joongang.co.kr]