Despite their lack of official diplomatic ties, the US and isolated North Korea have established communication channels. This was exemplified when an American official stated that the US government had initiated contact with North Korea regarding a US soldier who had unexpectedly crossed into North Korean territory during a border tour this week. The North has yet to reply, as reported by the US.
This article explores the potential communication avenues the adversaries could employ to discuss the case of Pvt. Travis King, the first American, to be detained in North Korea in nearly half a decade.
THE PINK PHONE
A primary and reliable method of contacting North Korea is a light pink touch-tone telephone at the U.S.-led U.N. Command at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. This is the exact location from which King crossed into North Korea. The phone line connects liaison officers from both sides, whose offices are 40 meters apart.
Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, mentioned on Wednesday that attempts had been made to connect with counterparts in North Korea’s Korean People’s Army from the Pentagon, but to no avail. Though Miller didn’t go into details, it is speculated that the “pink phone” was the chosen means of communication.
In the past, the U.N. Command has publicly declared its regular contact with the North’s army via the “pink phone,” stating that in 2022, they had exchanged 98 messages and conducted twice-daily line checks.
Retired South Korean brigadier general, Moon Seong Mook, pointed out that North Korean liaison officers have likely been instructed by their superiors not to answer calls from the U.N. Command.
The exact reason for King’s border crossing remains uncertain. He was previously found guilty of assault in South Korea, which could lead to his military discharge and other potential repercussions.
NEW YORK MISSION
The U.S. maintains several communication channels with North Korea, including the North Korean mission to the U.N. in New York. Acting as a surrogate embassy for the countries, this channel has facilitated back-channel negotiations and was pivotal in orchestrating the consequential summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018-19.
SWEDISH EMBASSY
Sweden, which maintains diplomatic relations with North Korea and hosts an embassy in Pyongyang, has often offered consular services for American citizens detained in North Korea. Miller has confirmed that the State Department has contacted Sweden regarding King’s situation.
However, this path may be complicated due to Swedish diplomats in Pyongyang not having returned to the North after exiting the country due to stringent COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Nonetheless, the North Korean Embassy in Sweden may serve as an alternative communication route.
OTHER HOTLINES
The Koreas have a set of dedicated phone and fax lines to arrange meetings, manage border crossings, and prevent accidental military conflicts. Despite this, North Korea has not been receptive to South Korea’s recent attempts to communicate through these channels.
Kim Yeol Soo, an expert at South Korea’s Korea Institute for Military Affairs, suggests that communication could be achieved through a hotline between the spy agencies of the two Koreas. This method has been influential in the past when other channels failed.
PROSPECTS
Kim anticipates North Korea will not respond to the U.S. outreach until it completes its investigation of King, which will likely take at least two weeks. The study predicted a drawn-out negotiation between the U.S. State Department and the North Korean Foreign Ministry.
Although holding King may give North Korea leverage for diplomatic concessions, it would also be challenging to detain a low-ranking soldier without access to high-profile US intelligence for an extended period, according to Moon.
Moon also suggests that if King expresses his desire to return home, it will pressure North Korea to release him, but negotiations with the U.S. would still be pursued to achieve their objectives.
In the past, North Korea has released American civilian detainees following visits from high-profile Americans, such as former presidents. Kim believes a similar approach may be needed in King’s case.
King’s crossing into North Korea has been a source of embarrassment for the U.S., according to Chun In-bum, a retired lieutenant general who formerly commanded South Korea’s special forces. This incident coincides with the U.S.’s efforts to increase its security commitment to South Korea, deploying a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in four decades and establishing a bilateral nuclear consultative body with South Korea. North Korea responded by test-firing two missiles. King’s crossing into North Korea overshadowed these significant events, Chun noted.
The surprising case of Pvt. Travis King underscores the complex and delicate nature of US-North Korean relations, a situation further exacerbated by the lack of formal diplomatic ties. As the world watches, the US continues to employ unconventional channels of communication to secure the safe return of King. This incident serves as a reminder of the intricate and sensitive geopolitics on the Korean Peninsula, and it could have potential implications for future negotiations and interactions between the US and North Korea.
