SEOUL-- With the six-party talks in the deep freeze, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun is looking east to help break the ice. In his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week Roh is expected to both press Putin to play a more active diplomatic role in resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea, and deepen bilateral economic relations.
While China has won plaudits from the United States and others for convening and hosting the six-party talks in a display of masterful diplomatic intermediation, concrete results thus far have been meager. By contrast, Putin, having held three previous summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, is best positioned among the leaders of the six parties to help bridge the divide between Pyongyang and its interlocutors.
Ironically, although more economically dependent on Beijing, Pyongyang may have greater confidence in Moscow diplomatically. Personal chemistry and mind-set is important here but so is realpolitik.