South Koreans impressed with summit, but some skeptical Interviewees pose for a photo during interviews with The Korea Times, downtown Seoul Thursday. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-minBy Jung Da-minDuring his Sept. 18 to 20 visit to Pyongyang, President Moon Jae-in achieved some memorable moments including his seven-minute speech in front of 150,000 in the May Day Stadium there and a visit to Mount Paektu. South Koreans all had differing views on which were the most distinctive, though. “The seven-minute speech was the most memorable scene and gave me the impression that we (the two Koreas) are definitely one, in that we are same people who speak the same language,” Kim Kyung-min, 70, told the Korea Times in downtown Seoul Thursday. “Korea would be more powerful when unified, with a total of 80 million people,” she said.Lee Dong-soo, 56, also said President Moon's public speech Wednesday was the most impressive moment.“It is amazing that President Moon could give such public speech in North Korea, which the previous administrations had never done,” he said. “The fact that such a chance was given (tSep 20, 2018
Moon calls for reunification in emotional speech North Koreans applaud as they listen to South Korean President Moon Jae-in's speech at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Jung Min-ho, Joint Press CorpsSEOUL/PYONGYANG ― South Korean President Moon Jae-in called on “all Koreans” to take a big step toward reunification of the Korean Peninsula late Wednesday in the first-ever speech by a South head of state in Pyongyang.South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps“We had lived together for 5,000 years and have lived separately for only 70 years. I urge all of you to end those hostilities and take a big step toward reunification,” Moon said before 150,000 North Koreans in the May Day Stadium.“Chairman Kim Jong-un and I will work hand in hand to build a new country, with 80 million people across North and South Korea. Let's move forward into a new era together.”Moon gave the speech after watching a mass games performance with Kim. It was one of the special events Kim had prepared for Moon, who came tSep 20, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Seoul should go beyond stepping stone in Pyongyang's denuclearization: official South Korean foreign ministry's representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs Lee Do-hoon speaks about his analysis upon the agreed terms for North Korea's denuclearization from the latest inter-Korean Pyongyang summit at Main Press Center inside Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapSouth Korea's chief nuclear envoy voiced expectations Thursday that Seoul will go beyond its mediation role between Washington and Pyongyang to play an "active" role in efforts to denuclearize the peninsula.Lee Do-hoon, the foreign ministry's representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, made the remarks a day after the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to nuclear disarmament."(South Korea's) role has so far been that of a stepping stone or a guide (in the denuclearization process) ... but we think we can play an active role beyond that role," Lee said at a press center set up for this week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim.It is the first time that the denuclearizatioSep 20, 2018
Why Mount Paektu? The leaders and first ladies of the Koreas at Heaven Lake, Mount Paektu, on Thursday. Joint Press CorpsBy Dong Sun-hwaSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un climbed Mount Paektu, a “sacred mountain,” as a mean to strengthen their ties on Thursday during the Pyongyang Summit. Many believe that the climb conveys the message that the two leaders are resolute in their quest to bring about a new era of peace and prosperity on Korean Peninsula, as well as their willingness to take the lead on their own issues instead of being swayed by other nations. At 2,744 meters high (9,003 feet), Mount Paektu, an active volcano on the border of North Korea and China, is the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula.It is called “a mountain with myths” for its distinctive natural environment including Heaven Lake, a huge crater lake within the caldera atop the mountain. Koreans have long believed it is a sacred feature symbolizing the peninsula and Koreans. The North Korean leader is known to have visited the mountain when making crucial political Sep 20, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Pyeongyang has one letter too many The background on the briefing stage for the inter-Korean summit spells Pyongyang as“Pyeongyang.” YonhapBy Oh Young-jin Where has the third inter-Korean summit between Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un been taking place? Is it Pyongyang or Pyeongyang? According to the presidential office, it is the latter. The powers-that-be have put it in writing literally, not once but an accentuating twice, at the massive media center for the “Pyeongyang” summit in the DDP building in downtown Seoul. Written in Korean and English on the backboard to the stage is 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyeongyang with the same English wording right behind the briefing podium. But ask reporters at the media center ― those who write in English, or who communicate in English ― and the chance is they would never use Pyeongyang as the venue of the summit.Are they different places? Of course not, they are the one and same. But the presidential office insists on using Pyeongyang, explaining that it is spelt as such, according to the South's official Romanization system. That begs a Sep 20, 2018
Pompeo: Trump prepared to engage in talks with Kim Jong-un In this June. 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, stands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore. AP-YonhapThe United States is prepared to "immediately" engage in talks with North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday, signaling a breakthrough in stalled negotiations to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula during his third summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier in the day.Kim also said following the two-day meeting in Pyongyang that he was ready to dismantle a missile testing site in front of international inspectors and, if the U.S. took reciprocal steps, a key nuclear facility. "On the basis of these important commitments, the United States is prepared to engage immediately in negotiations to transform U.S.-DPRK relations," the top U.S. diplomat said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.The U.S. has invited North Korean officials toSep 20, 2018
Moon returns home from Pyongyang trip North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in pose with North Korean first lady Ri-Sol-ju, left, and her South Korean counterpart Kim Jung-sook next to them at Changgun-bong, the peak of Mount Paekdu, Thursday morning. Joint Press Corps President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raised each other's hand atop Mount Paekdu, the Korean Peninsula's highest peak considered the birthplace of the Korean people, in a highly symbolic gesture underlining their commitment to reconciliation and eventual unification.The joint visit put a powerful ending to Moon's three-day trip to the North that produced a series of tangible results, including Kim's pledge to take concrete denuclearization steps, such as dismantling the country's ICBM test site, and his pledge to make a reciprocal visit to Seoul.The two leaders also agreed to take sweeping measures to reduce military tensions and further bolster inter-Korean exchanges and economic cooperation, such as reconnecting cross-border roads and railways, and to work together to win the rightSep 20, 2018
Moon, Kim attend North Korea's mass gymnastics performance North Korean leader Kim Jong-un addresses to audience at the May Day Stadium after watching a gymnastic and artistic performance in Wednesday evening. Joint Press CorpsSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in watched a controversial mass gymnastics performance in Pyongyang late Wednesday on the second day of his trip, alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.As the two leaders entered the May Day Stadium, the venue of the performance, together at about 9 p.m, some 150,000 Pyongyang citizens cheered and gave them an emotional standing ovation. The cheers became louder when Moon waved his hands toward the crowd.The leaders then sat down and began watching the performance.Moon was to deliver a speech to the people gathering there before the show begins. The speech will be broadcast in South Korea from 10:20-30 p.m., according to Seoul officials.North Korea unveiled the propaganda performance titled the "Glorious Country" on Sept. 9 to commemorate its 70th founding anniversary.After Kim spoke on the podium, South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks to some 150,000 Pyongyang citizens gathered Sep 19, 2018
Kim Jong-un promises to visit Seoul by this year By Park Ji-won, Joint Press CorpsSEOUL/PYONGYANG ― North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to make a return visit to Seoul this year following a summit with President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang, Wednesday.Moon and Kim announced in a joint statement that Kim would visit Seoul “by this year,” unless there were special circumstances during a joint press conference held after their talks in Pyongyang. Before the conference, the two leaders signed the Pyongyang Joint Declaration which reaffirms the abolishment of all threats of war on the Korean Peninsula.Kim pledged to visit Seoul “in the near future” to seek peace and prosperity for the people of the two Koreas.If this materializes, he will be the first-ever North Korean leader to visit South Korea since the separation of two Koreas.Emphasizing the possible visit to Seoul would bea “turning point” in the two Koreas' relations, Moon said, “Kim decided to visit Seoul in the near future. It means that it will take place within this year if there are no special circumstances.”“I promSep 19, 2018By Park Ji-won
FULL TEXT Pyongyang Declaration Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018 Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea and Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea held the Inter-Korean Summit Meeting in Pyongyang on September 18-20, 2018. The two leaders assessed the excellent progress made since the adoption of the historic Panmunjeom Declaration, such as the close dialogue and communication between the authorities of the two sides, civilian exchanges and cooperation in many areas, and epochal measures to defuse military tension. The two leaders reaffirmed the principle of independence and self-determination of the Korean nation, and agreed to consistently and continuously develop inter-Korean relations for national reconciliation and cooperation, and firm peace and co-prosperity, and to make efforts to realize through policy measures the aspiration and hope of all Koreans that the current developments in inter-Korean relations will lead to reunification. The two leaders held frank and in-depth discussions on variSep 19, 2018
