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| ▲ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-Geon, who visited Iran to negotiate the early release of ships and sailors detained in Iran, is returning home through Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 14th. | |
| Ⓒ Yonhap News |
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“We haven’t been able to deliver the result of an early release on this visit, but I believe the Iranian government’s action on ships and crew will come soon.”
On the afternoon of the 14th, the face of the delegation, including Choi Jong-Geon, the 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, returned to Incheon Airport. This is because he left for Iran on the 4th to lift the detention of the Korean national oil tanker,’Korea Chemie’, captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, but failed to achieve its intended purpose.
Since the difference in time between the two countries was so great in the first place, this result may be natural. For the Korean delegation, the early release of detained vessels and crew was urgent, but conversely, Iran’s top priority was to recover their money detained in Korea.
After arriving in the country, the delegation met a variety of people from senior government officials such as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Vice Minister of Justice, the highest leader of diplomatic advisors, parliamentary officials, and scholars. Everybody they met and asked for early release, but everyone insisted that’freezing of frozen assets is important, and detaining ships is a judicial issue’.
As the Iranian side handed over the detained vessel to judicial proceedings, this situation became inevitable for a prolonged period. Then, what can Korea do to resolve the situation in the future? Dal-seung Yoo, an expert on Middle East issues, heard the solution from Professor of the Department of Persian Language and Iran at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (President of the Korean Middle East Society).
Professor Yoo said on the 8th <오마이뉴스>In an interview with “This is a planned operation by Iran,” he said. “Because there are many things intertwined, such as relations between Korea and Iran, relations between the United States and Iran, and internal issues within Iran, it may take ten days, two months or even months to resolve. “I analyzed it. (Related article: “The planned operation to capture Iranian tankers, concerns over prolonged resolution”)
“A high-level visit after 4 years and 6 months… Even if I usually paid more attention”
-Our delegation, who went to Iran, actually returned to’empty’. How do you evaluate the delegation’s local activities?
“Because this situation itself was not a simple problem in the first place, I thought it would not be easy to solve. This is the expected result.”
-It seems that the delegation met with a great variety of people.
“I think it was necessary to make contact in various ways. I think I met variously to inform the desperate need.”
-Seeing the story of’freezing funds’ every time I go, Iran is really desperate for the money.
“Of course. Now, Iran is spending disaster subsidies due to the original economic situation and the coronavirus situation is severe, and crude oil exports are also hitting limits due to US sanctions.”
-Anyway, Iran said it would leave this matter to judicial proceedings, but then it should be considered that it could take as long as the previous forecast.
“Yes. When an Indian oil tanker was captured in 2013 for environmental pollution like this Korea Chemi, it took 23 days to be released, and last year the British oil tanker took another two months. Anyway, Iran will not be able to release it easily. We have to give them the justification for release. I think it’s the most practical alternative to having them come out in the form of parole in the process of judicial proceedings.”
-For example, what is the cause?
“It would be best to give a firm guarantee for the release of the frozen funds, but it will be difficult right away because of US sanctions, so why not present a vision for the development of future relations such as economic cooperation?”
-Anything you regret seeing this situation.
“I know it has been only 4 years and 6 months since a high-ranking Korean government official went to Iran. The current government of South Korea should have focused on the inter-Korean issues, and the US Trump administration hated Iran so much that the approach would have been cautious. Considering this, I think I’ve been so neglected about Iran. Even in Japan, I have been to a lot including the Prime Minister. I think I could have prevented this from happening if I paid a little more attention.
-Iran’s claim, but this time, it seemed that Iran was forced to come because of the pressure. Vice Minister Choi also mentioned that it would have been nice if he had come earlier.
“I mean. And after visiting Iran, they said they went to Qatar and asked for help. The relationship between Iran and Qatar is not bad, but will Iran listen to Qatar? I asked for help in the meantime, but I feel I’m looking for the wrong Bungee Su.”
“We must take this opportunity to act as an active mediator of US-Iran relations”
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| ▲ The Korean national ship “Korea Chemie” captured by Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the 4th. On the right is a high-speed boat from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The picture shows CCTV at the time of capture. 2021.1.5 | |
| Ⓒ Yonhap News |
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-What should Korea do to solve this situation in the future?
“It is a matter of intertwined triangle between Korea-U.S.-Iran. In this opportunity, Korea should play an active mediator in the US-Iran relations. In addition, we should send out various signals for the long-term future with Iran. “It is not appropriate for Iran to behave this way, but it cannot cut off relations with Iran. In the long run, you have to consider the vision for the country of Iran. Iran is a very peculiar country.”
-In what way is it unusual?
“In general, if a country has a lot of oil, there is no natural gas. On the other hand, if there is a lot of natural gas, it is common to have little oil. But Iran has a lot of oil and a lot of natural gas. It even has a lot of mineral resources. Its population is from the Middle East to Egypt, next to Egypt. Geographically, the Hormuz Strait, which is the path of oil transport in the Middle East, is the home of Iran, which is a country with three beats: resources, population, geography, etc. Due to US-Iran relations, it is difficult to take a passive stance against Iran. The international situation is constantly changing, and it can cause great losses for us in the future.”
-In fact, there were no conflict elements between Korea and Iran, and were they mutually friendly?
“Yes. Iranians like Koreans very much. The Korean Wave is very popular, and there are many Korean companies. Like Korea, Iran also hates powerful countries because it is a country that has suffered a lot of foreign invasion. In the midst of confrontation, Iran is inevitably strengthening relations with China, but Iran has been constantly on the lookout for China, as Xi Jinping has not yet received ratification by the Iranian parliament since he proposed strategic relations with Iran in 2016. I think it is necessary to think positively to use the crisis as an opportunity by judging this situation calmly and rationally.”
-This time, he said he was going to bring a’creative’ plan, and it seems that he couldn’t have a sharp number in the end.
“It’s a difficult situation because you have to make a suggestion quickly and notice the US. If so, we can’t make a proposal now, but we need to send a signal that we will expand and develop relations with Iran in the long term. “It’s difficult in international sentiment right now, but we have to show that we are always ready to develop our relationship with you.”
“Iranians who are good at negotiating, if they meet without preparation, they are back-to-back”
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| ▲ Choi Jong-Geon, the first Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visits Iran and meets the Iranian National Security and Foreign Policy Chairman Zolnuri. | |
| Ⓒ Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
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-How do Iranians negotiate?
“Iranians are people who value process rather than outcome. And as they are descendants of Persian merchants, they are people who have really developed bargaining culture and negotiation skills. Because the discussion culture is developed, they prepare quite a lot to create various scenarios. So If you meet without preparing for Plan B, Plan C, etc., you will only be beaten. This time the media said that the detention of oil tankers was related to the purchase of the corona vaccine, the chief leader Hamenei immediately said that he would not buy vaccines from the US or the UK. I don’t think I’m good at flipping the board like this. Their language has more indirect expressions than direct expressions, so you need to understand the meaning of the lines. American negotiators come out after meeting Iranians and say,’I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I do a lot of things. Because I make various absurd proposals and talk implicitly, if I talk about what I am without preparation, I am a backpacker.”
-It’s about Iran’s side, but the Korean delegation came back and promised to return with the permission of’releasing the freezing fund’, but when I go again, I have to raise the price a little more.
“Yes. Next, at least more than the minister should go. If you look at the photos of meeting high-ranking officials other than the official meeting, there is only one Korean interpreter without an Iranian interpreter. That’s the case. When I asked for it, I met him, but I minimized the number of participants. But it means we won’t be discussing it formally. We put weight on the fact that we met.”
-Still, if you want to find the positive part?
“Once we met a lot of people, it doesn’t mean that we would completely sever relations with Korea. Iran needs Korea. Because there are subtle relations with China in East Asia, relations with Japan are good, but they are good at Japan. Equating Iran’s Melat Bank in Tehran-ro, Seoul, but neither in China nor in Japan There is an Iranian bank in Korea, the only Asian country, so Korea is the center of the Iranian policy toward Asia. Iran is in fact in a serious economic war, lack of medicines, no vaccines, a serious economic crisis, understanding the difficult situation in Iran, and developing a long-term relationship between Korea and Iran. I think it’s a time when you need to worry and try.”