Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha promoted the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a chance to defuse tensions with North Korea at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Her remarks came amid growing concerns that North Korea’s current peace overture is part of a propaganda effort, and that the reclusive regime might stage a provocation following the resumption of South Korea-US joint military drills after the Olympics.

In her keynote speech at “Korea PyeongChang Night,” Kang said that inter-Korean talks and the North’s participation in the Olympics could create the momentum for building peace and prosperity on the peninsula and around the world, according to the ministry.

Kang attended the forum to discuss recent progress in inter-Korean talks, the security situation on the peninsula and boost awareness of the Olympics. On Thursday, she co-hosted Korea PyeongChang Night, which brought together about 300 guests, including Olivier Schwab, the forum’s executive director for China, and Kris Peeters, the deputy prime minister of Belgium. 


The two Koreas held a series of inter-Korean talks and mutual visits this month to discuss the North’s participation at the Winter Olympics to be hosted in the South, which many see as a sign of a thaw following years of tensions over the North’s nuclear and missile programs.

The South Korean government has strived to use the momentum generated by North Korea’s participation in the Olympics to bring the communist state and the US to dialogue to solve the nuclear crisis diplomatically.

While South Korea’s key allies and international community support inter-Korean talks, there have been concerns over Pyongyang’s intentions behind its participation in the Winter Games.

US Vice President Mike Pence, who will represent the US at the Olympics, has “grave concerns” that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will “hijack” the Olympics with a propaganda campaign, a White House official said Tuesday.

North Korea is likely to hold a large military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of its military, one day before the opening of the PyeongChang Olympics. Pyongyang moved the celebration, originally scheduled in April, to Feb. 8.

“There is a high possibility that the North could hold an intimidating military parade by mobilizing sizable numbers of military personnel and almost all of its weapons,” Seoul’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told a forum in Seoul on Friday.

There is also speculation the North might make a provocation in defiance of the annual joint military drills to be conducted by South Korea and the US after the Olympics and Paralympics conclude. The allies agreed to delay them until after the end of the games in March to ensure calm during the sporting events.

Pyongyang has condemned the military exercises as “a rehearsal for war” and used them as an excuse to develop its nuclear and missile programs.

Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said during a press briefing in the US on Thursday that the joint annual drills would “continue” immediately after the sporting event. “We haven’t suspended. We’re deconflicting during the period of the Olympics, and exercises will continue immediately after the Olympics,” he said.

Mindful of such concerns, Kang said during an interview with Reuters that South Korea had prepared for “all contingency scenarios” in case of another North Korean weapons test.

“Another provocation is always a possibility. So we approach these talks with all contingency scenarios in mind and are prepared to deal with whatever might happen, but overall it’s a good thing.”

But Kang rejected any “military options” during a press briefing on the sidelines of the forum in Davos, underscoring the need to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis through dialogue and diplomatic endeavors.

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)