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Two round tables were organized at Korea Institute for Defense Analyses and at Sejong Institute.

After the welcoming speeches by Dooseung Kim, KIDA Director, and Gleb Ivashentsov RIAC Vice-President, Vladimir Nelidov, MGIMO MFA of Russia, RIAC expert, spoke about the geopolitical changes in North-East Asia and their impact on relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea, and Ilya Dyachkov, MGIMO MFA of Russia, RIAC expert, made a report on the possible solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. After the presentation by KIDA researchers on the vision of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, G. Ivashentsov made a summary of the roundtable discussion. He underscored the need for the resumption of the six-party negotiations, signing of a peace treaty, approval of the nuclear non-proliferation regime for North Korea in order to restore the position of the DPRK as a state — a full-fledged member of the international community.

Two round tables were organized at Korea Institute for Defense Analyses and at Sejong Institute.

After the welcoming speeches by Dooseung Kim, KIDA Director, and Gleb Ivashentsov RIAC Vice-President, Vladimir Nelidov, MGIMO MFA of Russia, RIAC expert, spoke about the geopolitical changes in North-East Asia and their impact on relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea, and Ilya Dyachkov, MGIMO MFA of Russia, RIAC expert, made a report on the possible solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. After the presentation by KIDA researchers on the vision of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, G. Ivashentsov made a summary of the roundtable discussion. He underscored the need for the resumption of the six-party negotiations, signing of a peace treaty, approval of the nuclear non-proliferation regime for North Korea in order to restore the position of the DPRK as a state — a full-fledged member of the international community.

The second round table was organized by RIAC in cooperation with Sejong Institute, an independent research center in Seoul, focusing on national defense strategy, integration issues, and regional issues.

The discussion was opened by Cheong Seong-Chang, Vice-President of the Institute. Korean experts making reports at the round table presented a roadmap for the development of relations between the two Koreas and showed five stages of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, including the need for the United States to recognize the declaration of the end of the war and cancellation of UN sanctions.

At the first session of the second round table Russian side was represented by RIAC experts Ilya Dyachkov and Roman Lobov (RISS) who spoke about the dynamics of U.S.-DPRK relations and the prospects for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Russian experts noted the declarative position of the United States with respect to North Korea and the unwillingness of Washington to assume obligations to solve the nuclear problem. It was emphasized that the nuclear program of North Korea is its response to the distrust towards Washington’s policy, which, in turn, perceives the nuclear program as a threat to U.S. national security. Russian experts pointed to the long-term nature of the process of denuclearization under the conditions of tightening U.S. policy towards North Korea, on the one hand, and the apathy of South Korean society regarding the unification of the two Koreas, on the other.

The second session of the second round table was devoted to the analysis of the positions of Russia, China, and the United States in Northeast Asia. Russian experts underscored that Russia does not want any country to dominate in this region and is striving to become one of the centers of power in the region. Yuri Kulintsev, Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, RIAC expert, noted that China is in favor of regional stability and fears U.S. military solution to the Korean nuclear issue. He proposed scenarios for a multi-level approach to security in the DPRK, including signing a peace treaty, providing security guarantees to North Korea not only by the U.S., but also by China and Russia, withdrawal of American troops, and development of a disarmament program not only in the North, but also in South Korea. It was also noted that China could provide the DPRK with a nuclear umbrella.

The final report at the second session of the second round table was made by G. Ivashentsov. He pointed out favorable opportunities for creating a zone of common economic space in Northeast Asia with the participation of key players and the development of projects on energy security, transport security, and security in cyberspace. Regarding the domestic development of North Korea, G. Ivashentsov pointed out that the new elites in the DPRK are associated with the need for the economic development of the country, even in the face of sanctions and the need to protect its sovereignty. He also noted that Pyongyang needs guarantees that even the preliminary agreements reached will be respected.

At the closing of the second round table, G. Ivashentsov and the Vice-President of the Institute noted the need to continue cooperation between Russia and the Republic of Korea in solving the Korean nuclear problem and developing bilateral relations.

Two roundtable discussions with the participation of Korean researchers marked the end of the visit of young experts in international affairs to the Republic of Korea. The productive exchange of opinions and high scientific level of discussions between Russian and Korean experts contributed to clarifying positions and finding mutual interests in solving current issues of uniting the nation, denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, developing relations between key centers of power in Northeast Asia to make a solution on the DPRK nuclear program. The knowledge gained by experts will be reflected in future RIAC publications and will contribute to the improvement of relations on the Korean Peninsula.

RIAC and the Korea Foundation agreed to continue cooperation in 2019.

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