Kim Jong-un affirms efforts for denuclearization

Koreas agree to abolish all threats of war on the Korean Peninsula

By Kim Bo-eun, Joint Press Corps

SEOUL/PYONGYANG ― North Korean leader Kim Jong-un affirmed Wednesday that his regime would take steps to get rid of its nuclear weapons, after talks with President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang.

“We have pledged to actively undertake measures to make the Korean Peninsula a land of peace, with no nuclear weapons or nuclear threats,” Kim said in a joint press conference at the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse after the leaders signed a comprehensive set of agreements.

This is the first time the North Korean leader has verbally delivered a commitment to denuclearization in public.

Moon said, “The South and North have for the first time agreed on denuclearization measures.”

These have already been discussed between North Korea and the United States.

The leaders agreed that Pyongyang would permanently shut down its Tongchang-ri missile engine testing site and dismantle all launch pads in the presence of international experts, President Moon said.

“It is meaningful that the leaders spoke extensively on specific measures to attain the goal of complete denuclearization, to make a nuclear weapons and threat-free Korean Peninsula,” National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong told reporters after the joint press conference.

“Based on the results of the inter-Korean summit, it has become possible for the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. to hold extensive talks in New York next week on ways to accelerate the denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the U.S.,” he said.

Moon will meet with Trump on the sidelines of the Sept. 24 U.N. General Assembly to discuss the details of his meeting with Kim.

Trump positively evaluated the agreement on North Korea's denuclearization on Twitter following the press conference.

Meanwhile, the defense chiefs of South and North Korea, Song Young-moo and No Kwang-chol, signed a separate agreement on easing military tension.

The Koreas agreed to set up maritime, air and ground buffer zones in border areas.

The South and North will also hold a groundbreaking ceremony to connect the railways and roads of the Koreas along the east and west coasts within the year, according to the agreement.

To enable more meetings between family members separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the Koreas decided to open a meeting facility at Mount Geumgang in North Korea.

As part of arts and sports sector exchanges and cooperation, the Koreas agreed for the South to host a performance by the Pyongyang Art Troupe in Seoul in October. The Koreas will also seek to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

A joint statement containing these agreements was signed by Moon and Kim after private one-on-one talks that began at 10 a.m. at the state guesthouse. The leaders were later joined by the South's National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Suh Hoon and the North's Kim Yong-chol, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party.

This was the leaders' second meeting after one held Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by top officials.

After the joint press conference, Moon and Kim, accompanied by officials, had a luncheon at the Okryu Restaurant in Pyongyang. Moon then took part in a tree planting ceremony at the guesthouse and visited Mansudae Art Studio in the North's capital. He had dinner at the Pyongyang Taedong River Seafood Restaurant where residents are known to commonly dine. Moon and Kim are set to visit Mount Paektu on the border between North Korea and China today, before Moon later heads back to Seoul.

The agreement on denuclearization measures comes after talks between North Korea and the U.S. were stalled for weeks due to differences over which should be the first measure to be taken.

North Korea repeatedly called for the U.S. to declare an end to the Korean War, as a means to protect its regime from hostilities. However, the U.S. has required North Korea to take tangible and verifiable denuclearization measures first.

So far, North Korea has shut down its Punggye-ri nuclear testing site and dismantled parts of its Tongchang-ri missile testing site, but these measures have yet to be verified.

The North has now pledged to shutdown the Tongchang-ri facility completely in a verifiable manner.

There had been expectations for the North to pledge to submit a list of its nuclear weapons in exchange for the U.S. declaring an end to the Korean War.

However, the North made clear that it would not take any further measures until the U.S. declares the end of the war.

“The North stated if the U.S. takes reciprocal measures according to the spirit of the North Korea-U.S. joint statement reached in June, it would take additional measures such as permanently shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear facility,” the joint statement said.

Based on reports from the White House, Trump and Kim may hold another summit within the year to seek further progress on denuclearization.

The North Korean leader is expected to visit Seoul before the end of the year.