Moon urges N. Korea to keep peace deals, return to talks

President Moon Jae-in/Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

President Moon Jae-in has underlined the need for the two Koreas to return to dialogue and cooperation for the development of inter-Korean ties through the upholding of the spirit of the June 15 Declaration reached at the summit between former President Kim Dae-jung and the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the landmark agreement, Monday, Moon also called on current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to return to talks and halt the raising of tension on the Korean Peninsula.

This was the first response from Moon following a series of recent verbal threats from North Korean state media and key officials, including the North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-jong. On Sunday, she hinted at military action in the near future, fueling concerns of heightened tension between the two Koreas.

"Chairman Kim Jong-un and I cannot backtrack on the promise of peace we made to the 80 million people of our two countries," Moon said during a weekly meeting with senior aides, Monday, according to press pool reports.

The South Korean leader reiterated the need for the two countries to maintain the important agreements that were made at their 2018 summits in the border village of Panmunjeom and the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

"The April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration and the September 19 Joint Declaration in Pyongyang are solemn promises that both the South and the North must faithfully carry out. This is a firm principle that cannot be swayed by any change in circumstances," Moon said.

"Our government will make ceaseless efforts to implement the agreements we have made. We will keep up with our hard-earned achievements The North should stop its attempts to cut off communication, raise tension and return to an era of confrontation. We hope that the uncomfortable and difficult problems facing the two sides will be solved through communication and cooperation."

Moon said he had a heavy heart that the two Koreas were marking the 20th anniversary of the South-North Joint Declaration in such an atmosphere. "But the more serious the situation is, the more we need to look back on the spirit and achievements of the June 15 Declaration," Moon said.

He noted he was well aware of Kim's commitment and efforts to dramatically change the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, and he also regretted that Seoul-Pyongyang and Pyongyang-Washington ties have not made the progress he expected.

The President added that he will not give up on the proposals for inter-Korean projects he has made since the beginning of the year.

"It is time for the South and the North to make a breakthrough together. The time has come where we can't wait for conditions to get better. I hope that the South and the North will actively seek out and implement projects that can be decided on and carried out on their own. I will continue to make efforts to win a consensus among the international community. We hope that North Korea will open the door for dialogue and gather wisdom together with us."

The government, led by the Ministry of Unification, was planning to hold a big celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Declaration, but the event was downsized due to North Korea's indifference and its recent threats.

Pyongyang has not made any mention of the anniversary.

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