- Joined
- Mar 22, 2015
- Location
- Untied States of America
In 1989, a 22-year-old South Korean student caused an uproar when she sneaked into North Korea and was filmed advocating for unification and meeting then leader Kim Il Sung.
The unauthorized visit was orchestrated by Im Jong-seok, a prominent student democracy activist who is now chief of staff of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Nearly 30 years on, the 51-year-old Im is now playing a pivotal role in an inter-Korean detente fostered by the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, officials and experts say.
The liberal South Korean president is banking on Im, and a handful of other key players, to rebuild inter-Korean ties strained by nearly a decade of conservative rule in the South and the North’s accelerating nuclear and missile programs.
But for critics in the South, Im is at the center of concern that Seoul may prioritize cross-border rapprochement over an air-tight alliance with the United States. Already, they fear, the Winter Olympics has become a propaganda tool for the North.
https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1FZ0FP?__twitter_impression=true
The unauthorized visit was orchestrated by Im Jong-seok, a prominent student democracy activist who is now chief of staff of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Nearly 30 years on, the 51-year-old Im is now playing a pivotal role in an inter-Korean detente fostered by the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, officials and experts say.
The liberal South Korean president is banking on Im, and a handful of other key players, to rebuild inter-Korean ties strained by nearly a decade of conservative rule in the South and the North’s accelerating nuclear and missile programs.
But for critics in the South, Im is at the center of concern that Seoul may prioritize cross-border rapprochement over an air-tight alliance with the United States. Already, they fear, the Winter Olympics has become a propaganda tool for the North.
https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1FZ0FP?__twitter_impression=true