| On the afternoon of the 27th, 100 days before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, citizens stare at the five-ringed flag hanging at the World Peace Gate at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul. 2021.10.27/News1 © News1 Reporter Jinhwan Kim |
The Blue House said on the 18th that, regardless of whether the U.S.’ diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics on the 18th has deepened, “the Beijing Olympics will make efforts to become a driving force for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula (declaration of the end of the war → conclusion of a peace treaty → lasting peace regime).” said
A key official from the Blue House told News 1 on the same day, “With regard to the impact on the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, such as the US’ possibility of a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics and the ‘End-of-War Declaration initiative’ will,” he said.
The U.S. plans to have the national team participate in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in February next year, but it is reported that the United States is considering not sending a diplomatic delegation.
It is customary for each country to send high-level delegations to the Olympic opening ceremony to encourage participating athletes, but the United States is said to be considering a diplomatic boycott as a protest against China’s human rights practices.
The Korean government is keeping an eye on this move by the United States.
Pay attention to the potential for impact on the ‘South, North, and US’ (three-party) or ‘South, North, US, and China’ (four-party) declaration of the end of the war, which President Moon Jae-in proposed during his speech at the UN General Assembly in September. will do
The government is keeping in mind the possibility that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is close to China, will be invited to the Beijing Olympics, leaving room for the inter-Korean summit as well as a stage for the declaration of an end to the war.
This message from the Blue House is interpreted as repeatedly emphasizing to the US side our will that the entrance to the peace process on the Korean Peninsula must be opened at the Beijing Olympics.
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said in relation to the declaration of an end to the Korean War proposed by the South Korean government on the 17th (local time), “The United States has consulted with South Korea, Japan, and other allies and partners on the best way to ensure complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. I am very satisfied with it,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sherman said in a press conference held alone after holding a meeting with First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-gun and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori at the U.S. State Department on the same day, when asked if they would agree on the text of an end-of-war declaration between South Korea and the United States. .
Initially, the three deputy ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan were scheduled to attend this conference, but Deputy Minister Sherman attended the conference alone due to differences between Korea and Japan over the Dokdo issue.
cho11757@news1.kr
