WASHINGTON ― President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday called on China to do more to induce North Korea to choose “the right path” for peace on the peninsula and its own prosperity.

In an interview with the Washington Post she also said China’s growth and development through reform and opening offers a “very good model” for Pyongyang to follow.

“In order for North Korea to change, and in order for the Korean Peninsula to enjoy greater peace, North Korea needs to choose the right path, and China should exert greater influence in inducing North Korea to do so,” she was quoted as saying.

Her remarks came as China is apparently hardening its position toward North Korea, joining international sanctions against its missile and nuclear tests.

The state-owned Bank of China said on Tuesday that it has shut the account of the North’s Foreign Trade Bank, which is accused by the U.S. of supporting its nuclear program. It gave no reason for the closure.

It is the first publicly announced move by an institution in China against its unruly ally.

A Seoul official said the action is “a very significant and effective step” given that it takes aim at North Korea’s main channel to settle financial trade dealings with China, which is the North’s largest trade partner and food and energy supplier.

Park said China has showed some changes in dealing with North Korea since President Xi Jinping took office this year.

She expressed hopes of meeting Xi for talks on issues that encompass North Korea, its nuclear weapons, and peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

“Of course, we can’t expect China to do everything, and the Chinese also say they can’t do everything. But I do believe there’s room for them to undertake more with respect to some material aspects,” she said.

Park also mentioned the ongoing historical row with Japan, which has been stepping up its nationalist stance on its military past.

“The Japanese have been opening past wounds and have been letting them fester, and this applies not only to Korea but also to other neighboring countries. … This arrests our ability to really build on momentum, so I hope that Japan reflects upon itself,” Park said.

On Tuesday, Park held her first summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington.

The two leaders pledged to take stern action against any provocation by North Korea while leaving the door open for dialogue. Obama expressed his support for Park’s trustpolitik policy of reengaging the North and deterring its military threat.

They also adopted a joint declaration in commemoration of the two countries’ 60-year-old alliance, setting a new direction for a broader cooperation in security, economics, culture, regional and global issues.


By Lee Joo-hee, Korea Herald correspondent
(jhl@heraldcorp.com)