Ruling party gambles on thaw as Pyongyang signals potential ‘big deal’ with US

Following the death of Kim Yong-nam, former president of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are calling for a condolence delegation to be sent to Pyongyang — a gesture some hope could help ease the long freeze in inter-Korean relations. The idea aligns with what the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has described as Pyongyang’s "strategic timing," with the agency believing that North Korea may be testing the potential for a "big deal" with Washington early next year. Even so, experts on North Korea remain doubtful that such an outcome is likely. Park Jie-won, a five-term DPK lawmaker who served as chief of staff to former President Kim Dae-jung and played a pivotal role in arranging the first inter-Korean summit on June 15, 2000, has publicly offered to visit Pyongyang as a special envoy to pay his respects. In a Facebook post and a radio interview earlier this week, Park expressed condolences over Kim’s death and volunteered to lead the delegation. “I have already spoken with Unification Minister Chung Dong-youngWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times