High diplomatic push from a hermit country: North Korea to send its highest ranking official to South

NewsBharati    05-Feb-2018
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Pyongyang, February 5: The diplomatic efforts from North Korea to mend its strained relation with South Korea are becoming more prominent. North Korea has decided to send its highest ranking official for years to the South ahead of Winter Olympics leading its high-level delegation to ease off the tension.

Kim Yong-nam, the head of the North’s parliament, will be the highest-level North Korean official to visit South Korea in years. The team will also include three officials and 18 supportive staffers. Kim serves as the nominal head of state in the North.

"Given Kim Yong-nam is responsible for summit diplomacy as the head of state by the constitution, the North appears to show some sincerity to the South in its own way," a South Korean presidential official said as quoted by Yonhap. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in is hopeful of a US-North Korea talk during games as high-ranking officials from both the countries will visit there.

Due to the constant threat posed by North Korea by its nuclear activities, it is already blacklisted and heavily burdened with various sanctions. This is a high chance for the country to repair its image to the outside world through diplomatic maneuvers.

North Korea on Monday proposed sending an art troupe to the Games by ferry which would require exemption of bilateral sanctions as all North Korean ships have been banned from entering South Korean ports since 2010. To make the Olympics successful as a symbol of peace South will apply for an exemption.