Moon's envoys make crucial NK visit

President Moon Jae-in's special envoy delegation, led by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, second from left, with chief of the National Intelligence Service Suh Hoon by his side, arrive at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday evening, after visiting Pyongyang earlier in the day to deliver a letter from the President to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

President Moon Jae-in's special envoys visited Pyongyang, Wednesday, for crucial discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over a scheduled inter-Korean summit this month, as well as the North's denuclearization.

The delegation led by National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong delivered a personal letter from Moon to Kim, Cheong Wa Dae said. The envoys were greeted by top officials Kim Yong-chol and Ri Son-gwon after arriving at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport early Wednesday, and returned to Seoul around 9:50 p.m. after a dinner reception.

Cheong Wa Dae did not elaborate on the content of the letter, stating it would brief the press today.

Chung told the press Tuesday that the envoys would “reach a specific deal based on the Panmunjeom Declaration.” The declaration is a set of agreements reached between Moon and the North Korean leader in their first summit in April, where they agreed to work to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War within this year.

The presidential advisor said declaring an end to the war was a highly necessary step in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization. “We will continue efforts to end the Korean War within the year,” he said.

This is the second time the envoys have visited the North Korean capital, at a critical time point. The delegation's second visit comes at a time when denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. appear stalled after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang was cancelled by President Donald Trump who cited a lack of progress on the part of the North in taking steps toward denuclearization.

In March, a delegation comprised of the same members _ Chung, National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Suh Hoon, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, NIS deputy director Kim Sang-gyun and senior Cheong Wa Dae official Yun Kun-young met the North Korean leader.

After meeting with the South Korean envoys, Kim Jong-un stated that the regime was willing to give up its nuclear weapons if its security was ensured. He also said he was willing to hold denuclearization talks with the U.S.

The envoys' visit in March is seen to have enabled the first summit between Moon and Kim in April, and another between Kim and President Trump in June.

Since the June summit between Kim and Trump, where the North Korean leader pledged his regime would achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang has taken no verifiable measures.

It has called for the U.S. to declare an end to the Korean War first, as a means to protect its regime from possible threats. The U.S. and North Korea are having had differences over which measure would be taken first _ ending the war or denuclearization steps such as handing over a list of the latter's nuclear inventory.

In a phone call held late Tuesday, Moon told Trump about the planned visit and the U.S. President said he hoped for the success of the inter-Korean summit, Cheong Wa Dae said.

The two, meanwhile, agreed to work toward a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month, to discuss North Korea.