China, Russia and Japan seek seats at the table with Kim Jong-un, Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump
Region’s stakeholders all have an interest in rejoining negotiations, while US and South Korea would prefer narrower remit
As the situation on the Korean peninsula shifts rapidly, regional stakeholders are working to ensure they will each have a seat at any negotiating table.
The battle for influence in the decades-long North Korea crisis is key ahead of high-stakes summits planned between Kim Jong-un, leader of the reclusive authoritarian state, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April, then US President Donald Trump in May or June.
In recent months, the region has seen a decompression in tensions – which escalated after a series of missile and nuclear tests from Pyongyang, then retaliatory international sanctions – and a rapprochement between North and South Korea for the winter Pyeongchang Olympics.
The upcoming summits present an opportunity to pave the way for negotiations further down the line, including on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, analysts say.
But the key players have different security interests, with some pushing for the resumption of six-party talks – intermittent negotiations suspended in 2009 – and others preferring fewer players at the table. Here’s what each of the major stakeholders wants from potential talks.