PRES. LEE SEEKS RISK REDUCTION ON PENINSULA

Hello and welcome.

You're watching Press Perspective for Tuesday July 8th here in Seoul.

I'm Min Sunhee.

South Korea wants to renew dialogue.

North Korea appears disinterested.

Pundits for their part believe such cross-border interaction looks unlikely for now.

For more I have Cheon Soram a former RFA reporter.

Soram welcome back.

I also have Chloe Borgnon a correspondent for French daily France 24.

Chloe it's good to have you here.

Soram, President Lee Jae Myung's appointments for unification, foreign, and defense ministers are seen as strong indications of his intentions to engage North Korea in dialogue.

First, do remind us about who they are, and do you agree with this assessment by analysts?

Chloe, many scholars believe North Korea will rebuff efforts of engagement by South Korea.

This being said, first do remind us about the factors that will keep Kim Jong-un away from the negotiating table, and then, what may be some ways of coaxing him back to dialogue?

Soram, there is much debate about whether South Korea can deescalate North Korea without U.S. support.

What have you been hearing?

Chloe, beyond the U.S., who are the allies that South Korea can rely on to ease tensions here on the peninsula?

Meanwhile, Soram, what's with regard to South Korea's plans to repatriate six North Korean fishermen?

And for the sake of context, could you tell us a bit about this situation?

Chloe, last week, a North Korean man crossed into the South Korean border.

What do we know about this particular incident?

And do such defections look to complicate South Korea's engagement efforts with North Korea?

Soram, perhaps another challenge for the Lee Jae Myung administration is the balancing of its desire for dialogue with North Korea and the international community's concerns over the regime's rampant human rights abuses.

That being said, I believe Reuters covered the latest UN concerns with regard to these violations.

Do tell us more.

Chloe, some scholars believe the Lee Jae Myung administration's approach to North Korea is more realistic.

Do explain their stance for us, and do you share their thoughts?

All right.