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Pundits differ on the chances that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will accept the South Korean government¡¯s proposal for another inter-Korean summit. Many experts think it unlikely that he will take the offer when the current South Korean government is suffering from low approval ratings and may be losing its grip on power.
A senior government official said that the North Korean leader would be measuring closely the benefits he could get from a second inter-Korean summit, but he would not come forward unless he believes the current South Korean government can stay in power.
Prof. Nam Joo-hong, a political scientist at Kyonggi University, said that it would be questionable for the North Korean leader to sign a long-term contract with a partner whose term will expire in just 10 months and whose approval ratings hover around 10 percent. He must take into consideration what risks he might face if the current South Korean administration fails to win the next presidential election, the professor added.
Some analysts said that Kim would not accept the summit offer because he cannot expect cash this time. North Korea reportedly received US$500 million for a historic inter-Korean summit from the former Kim Dae-jung government.
Sun Moon University professor Kim Soo-min said that Kim cannot expect money or a shift in U.S. policies toward the North even if he agrees to the meeting. A government official who has been working as a point man in dealing with the North said that there would be no summit without paying cash to the North under the table.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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