북미관계 비온뒤땅이굳기를바라며
기고
성Y김|주인도네시아미국대사 겸 대북특사
비온뒤 땅이굳는다는속담처럼북-미관계에딱들어맞는말도없을것이다. 난관이끝없이이어지
지만그와중에도고요와평화를모색할기회가상존하는관계가아닌가이처럼고요와평화를모색
할또한번의기회를찾아 다시금서울을찾게되었다
최근3개월간서울을찾은것은이번이두번째다. 앞서웬디셔먼부장관이방한한적이있고그외에
도여러차례고위급회담이이어지며바이든해리스행정부가북한문제를비롯한다양한사안과관
련하여그만큼한미간긴밀한협조를중시한다는점을여러차례증명한바있다. 미대북특사로서나
의최우선과제는바로한국쪽카운터파트와지속적으로긴밀히협력하여한반도의완전한비핵화를
향해나아가는것이다. 주지하는바와같이결코쉬운목표는아니다. 그럼에도사전조율되고실용적
인calibrated and practical방식으로북한과의외교적기회를모색하고자한다. 이에북측을직접접촉하여대화를제의했고지금도북한과언제어디서나만날준비가되어있다
이지면을빌려미국은북한을적대시하려는의도가없다는점을분명히해두고싶다 현재진행중인
한미연합훈련은긴역사를지닌주기적방어적훈련으로한미양국의안보를지탱하는데그취지
가있다. 미국의목표는인도태평양지역의평화와안보증진이며이를위해북한과선의의협력을
할준비가되어있다
백지상태에서무작정협력에뛰어들겠다는것도아니다. 미국은한반도비핵화와북미관계개선을
위해지난4개행정부에걸쳐지속적으로노력한바있고앞으로도끊임없이노력할것이며북한또
한과거합의에서이목표를위해노력하겠다고수차례약속한적이있다. 2018년싱가포르공동선언
2018년판문점선언및2005년6자회담공동선언을비롯하여과거북한과합의했던사항이향후북
미외교의기반이될것이다
이에미국은북한이대화에복귀하여각자의의도와관심사에대해논의하고어떤진전을이룩할수
있을지모색할기회가있기를희망한다. 내외교인생전반에걸쳐북미관계에깊숙이관여한당사자
로서말하건대북미관계진전만큼중요하면서도어려운일도없다. 하지만진정성과창의성을보인
다면분명기회가열리리라는것이나의생각이다개인적으로대북특사로서바이든대통령과블링컨
국무장관으로부터얼마나큰신임을받는지를고려하면더나아가미국의행보하나하나가한국민들
에게얼마나큰영향을끼치는지를감안하면내게는이목표를이루어야할막중한책임도있다
다만미국은논의에진전이있기전까지는북한관련유엔안전보장이사회안보리결의를지속적으
로이행할책임이있음을밝혀둔다. 이점은사실여타안보리결의를이행할의무가있는것과다르지
않다. 미국은핵비확산을위한세계적노력을배가하여전인류의안전을도모한다는목표에따라모
든유엔회원국이각자의국제적의무를다할것을요청한다
더불어미국은현행정부의인권중시기조에발맞추어북한주민의인권옹호활동을지속할것이다.
미국은인도주의분야공통의관심사에대해서도북한과협력할준비가되어있다. 인도적지원에대
한접근성및모니터링활동보장을위한국제적표준을준수한다는전제하에미국은비핵화진전유
무와관계없이북한내취약계층을위한인도적지원활동을앞으로도계속지원할것이다.
또한남북 인도주의협력구상에도지지를보내고자하며더불어6·25전쟁와중에실종된미군의유해발굴을 위한협력재개를희망한다. 신뢰구축을위한실질적방안모색에도열려있다
미국은한반도의완전한비핵화와항구적평화체제구축이라는목표를향해동맹및동반자들과지속
적으로긴밀히협력할것이다. 이과정에서한반도번영을원하는당사자라면누구라도협력할것이
나특히한국및일본과의협력에중점을두고자한다. 이목표를위해북한이진지하게협상에임하는
쪽으로결정을내려주기를희망하며개인적으로도 내북측카운터파트를회담장에서다시한번만날
수있기를바란다
My Hope for USDPRK Diplomacy
AmbassadorSungYKimUSSpecialRepresentativefortheDPRK
AccordingtoaKoreanidiomaftertherainthegroundhardensItsaremindertomethat
whiletheUSDPRKrelationshiphasweatheredmanystormstherecontinuestobean
opportunityforcalmandpossibilityItswiththatinmindthatIampleasedtobebackin
Seoulinsearchofnewpossibilities
ThisismysecondtriphereinthelastthreemonthsItfollowsthevisitofDeputySecretary
WendyRShermanandotherhighlevelmeetingsthatreflecttheBidenHarris
AdministrationsfocusonclosecoordinationwiththeRepublicofKoreaROKincludingon
issuesrelatedtotheDPRKMytoppriorityastheUSSpecialRepresentativefortheDPRKis
tocollaboratecloselywithmyROKcounterpartstocontinuetoworktowardthecomplete
denuclearizationoftheKoreanPeninsulaWeknowthiswillnotbeeasyToreachour
objectivewearetakingacalibratedpracticalapproachthatwillexplorediplomacywiththe
DPRKTothatendwehavereachedoutdirectlytoPyongyangtoinitiatedialogueandstand
readytomeetanywhereanytime
TobecleartheUnitedStatesdoesnothavehostileintenttowardtheDPRKTheUSROK
combinedmilitaryexerciseswhicharecurrentlyunderwayarelongstandingroutineand
purelydefensiveinnatureandsupportthesecurityofbothourcountriesWeseekto
enhancepeaceandsecurityintheIndoPacificregionandwearepreparedtoworkwiththe
DPRKingoodfaithtowardthisgoal
WearenotstartingfromscratchWecontinuetoseekthecompletedenuclearizationofthe
KoreanPeninsulaandimprovingUSDPRKrelationsanaimthathasremainedconstant
throughfouradministrationsandonetowhichPyongyanghaspreviouslycommittedin
multipledocumentsOurdiplomaticeffortswillbuildonthe2018SingaporeJointStatement
andotherpastdocumentsandstatementsincludingthe2018PanmunjomDeclarationand
the2005SixPartyTalksJointStatement
ItsonthisbasisthatwehopetheDPRKwillcometothetabletodiscussourrespective
intentionsandconcernsandexplorewhatprogressmaybeachievableAsadiplomatwho
hasbeendeeplyinvolvedinUSDPRKrelationsthroughoutmycareerIknowthatmaking
progresswillbedifficultbutIbelievethatthroughacommittedandcreativeapproachwe
canfindapathforwardonthisimportantissueItakethisresponsibilityseriouslynotonly
duetothetrustthatPresidentBidenandSecretaryBlinkenhaveplacedinmeastheSpecial
RepresentativefortheDPRKbutalsobecauseoftheimpactouractionscouldhaveonall
Koreanpeople
InthemeantimewecontinuetohavearesponsibilitytoimplementtheUNSecurityCouncil
resolutionsaddressingtheDPRKjustasweimplementotherUNSecurityCouncil
resolutionsWewillcontinuetocallonallUNMemberStatestofulfilltheirinternational
obligationsaswellinlinewithourgoalofreinforcingglobalcounterproliferationefforts–this keepsusallsafer
FurthermoreconsistentwiththeBidenHarrisAdministrationsfocusonhumanrightswe 한
will continue toadvocateforthehumanrightsoftheNorthKoreanpeople
WearealsopreparedtoworkcooperativelywiththeDPRKtoaddressareasofshared
humanitarianconcern.TheUnitedStateswillcontinuetosupporttheprovisionof
humanitarianaidconsistentwithinternationalstandardsforaccessandmonitoringtothe
mostvulnerableNorthKoreansregardlessofprogressondenuclearization.Wewilllendour
supporttointerKoreanhumanitariancooperationprojectsandwehopetoresume
cooperationinrecoveringtheremainsofU.S.servicemenstillmissingfromtheKoreanWar.
Moreoverweareopentoexploringmeaningfulconfidencebuildinginitiatives.
TheUnitedStateswillcontinuetoworkcloselywithouralliesandpartnersespeciallythe
ROKandJapanaswellasotherswithaninterestinprosperityontheKoreanPeninsulato
chartapathtowardcompletedenuclearizationandalastingpeaceregimeontheKorean
Peninsula.IhopethattheDPRKwilldecidetoengageinseriousnegotiationswithustothis
endandIpersonallylookforwardtoseeingmyNorthKoreancounterpartsacrossthetable
onceagain.
8/25/2021 북미 관계, 비 온 뒤 땅이 굳기를 바라며 : 칼럼 : 사설.칼럼 : 뉴스 : 한겨레
