Peace is President Moon's top priority
By Lee Min-hyung
President Moon Jae-in
As a son of North Korean refugees, the inter-Korean summit today carries a significant meaning for President Moon Jae-in.
Moon's parents are from Hungnam, a city in South Hamgyong Province in North Korea. His parents, fled to the South in December 1950 during the 1950-53 Korean War. Moon was born in 1953 at a refugee camp on Geoje Island off the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province.
Moon has, partly for this reason, become interested in human rights and peace on the Korean Peninsula. His North Korean policy has so far been in contrast to that of his predecessors ― former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak ― both of whom pushed for aggressive, pressure policies against the North.
Last year, Moon pledged during his presidential campaign to build a lasting peace on the peninsula through dialogue with the North.
“I will do the utmost to bring the North to the negotiation table by strengthening sanctions and pressure,” Moon said in a television commercial aired in May last year.
His campaign pledges regarding North Korea also included a gradual and fundamental denuclearization of the regime by using all possible measures ― such as dialogue and sanctions.
The then-presidential candidate also pledged to ease inter-Korean military tension with the ultimate goal of a peace treaty on the peninsula with Kim Jong-un.
Since taking office in May 10 last year, Moon has continued to make a series of meaningful steps toward denuclearization.
Last July, Moon declared his vision for inter-Korean peace in a speech in Berlin. At that time, he offered to hold a series of inter-Korean activities despite then-intensifying military provocation from the North. They included reuniting families separated by the Korean War and the regime's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which ended this February.
At that time, Moon said he expected the two Koreas to join hands for peace. To be specific, he also said he was willing to meet the young dictator if dialogue could help to ease inter-Korean tension and restore trust and peace between Seoul and Pyongyang.
The Berlin declaration has helped end years of icy inter-Korean relations, bringing Kim to the dialogue table.
Starting this year, Kim offered a rare gesture for peace by sending North Korean athletes to the Winter Olympics. At that time, he said he was willing to hold an inter-Korean summit “at the earliest possible date.”
With Moon accepting the proposal, the historic gathering took place Friday on the southern side of the Panmunjeom truce village.
During the summit, Kim told Moon that on his way to the summit, he had felt a sense of expectation for lasting peace on the peninsula.
Moon replied, “Starting from Panmunjeom, I hope our meeting can be extended into other venues ― such as Seoul, Pyongyang, Jeju Island and Mount Baekdu.”