Members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party are slated to visit Washington on a two-day schedule in February to deliver the party’s stance on North Korea’s denuclearization ahead of the second US-North Korea, the party said Monday.

“The party will deliver its position about the North Korea-US summit to those in the US. We plan to communicate by sending letters to key figures in the US, and contact media and think tanks there for complete denuclearization and peace,” the party’s floor leader Rep. Na kyung-won said during a briefing on its second meeting on the North Korea-US summit.

The party’s delegation, including Na Kyung-won and Rep. Kang Seok-ho who chairs the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Secretary nominee Rep. Kim Jae-kyung, is expected to make the visit from Feb. 10-11.

Although the delegation will depart when National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang leaves for the US, it is considering a separate itinerary, Na said.

The planned trip comes amid distrust in US President Donald Trump among some members of the conservative party.

Earlier this month Rep. Kim Moo-sung said, “We must not trust US President Donald Trump. (Instead) we must restore the relationship with Japan, which is also threatened by the North’s nuclear weapons, and form a joint countermeasure with the US and Japan.”

During the meeting, members of the party agreed that inter-Korean and US-North Korea talks should be aimed at the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea instead of a “nuclear freeze,” in addition to prioritizing denuclearization in the inter-Korean relationship.

“Some members said we would need to voice the need for nuclear armament if the North Korea-US summit ends up accepting the North’s nuclear weapons.” Na said.

Emphasizing the country’s defense ties with the US, Na said the deployment of US forces stationed in South Korea, alongside the South Korea-US alliance, should not be impacted by next month’s US-North Korea talks, and urged the two countries to promptly wrap up defense cost-sharing negotiations related to American troops stationed here.

The main opposition party has also decided to form a committee to deal with changes in North Korea issues and its nuclear weapons, alongside national security, Na said. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)