Moon retains push for talks with North Korea

President Moon Jae-in delivers a New Year address at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

President Moon Jae-in has re-emphasized dialogue with North Korea this year, urging joint efforts by the two Koreas to realize North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to the South.

Entering the fourth year of his presidency, Moon delivered a New Year address, Tuesday, and devoted a significant portion of the speech to highlight his focus on dialogue with North Korea.

Moon's stance has come despite Pyongyang's latest declaration ending its two-year moratorium on nuclear and Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests and announcing a “new strategic weapon.”

The President reiterated his determination to place priority on dialogue and diplomacy in dealing with North Korea in close cooperation with the United States and China. He stressed that Seoul will be prepared to do all it can to revive the dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.

In particular, Moon called on Kim to visit Seoul as they agreed during their previous summit in 2018. The remark was seen as a concrete signal that he will not abandon his focus on improving ties with Pyongyang this year despite the rising skepticisms, even from Washington, toward his North Korea policy centered on engagement.

“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration. I urge the South and the North to work together to create the right conditions for Chairman Kim Jong-un's reciprocal visit, including joint events that will contribute to renewing our determination for a peaceful unification,” Moons said.

During the September 2018 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, the two leaders issued a joint statement saying that the North Korean leader would visit Seoul “within the year” if there were not special circumstances that prevented it. Kim has not lived up to the statement and flatly refused Moon's cordial and repeated invitation for him to attend the Korea-ASEAN summit held in Busan in November 2019.

“We need an international solution to uphold the three principles for peace on the Korean Peninsula ― no war, mutual security guarantee and prosperity. But there are things that can be done through South-North cooperation. I propose that we get together and discuss these in earnest. I believe that Chairman Kim shares the same determination,” Moon said.

“I will make efforts to revive the operation of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tourism on Mount Geumgang. We will reflect on the agreements that were not honored and reasons that they failed to live up to the peoples' expectations. We will continue to take steps forward.”

The remarks are seen to suggest that Seoul is prepared to restart discussions some key inter-Korean projects, such as the Gaeseong complex, which were shelved during the previous administrations. But Seoul has been hesitant to go forward with resuming inter-Korean economic projects due to rising concerns within and outside Korea that such moves would violate international sanctions on North Korea. Washington has been adamant about retaining the sanctions throughout President Donald Trump's diplomacy with Kim, although the leaders of the two foes of the 1950-53 Korean War had two unprecedented summits.

In this undated photo provided on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, visits a phosphatic fertilizer plant in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. AP-Yonhap

Pyongyang did not respond immediately to Moon's proposals to improve inter-Korean relations. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) criticized Moon's New Year address, saying that it misjudged public opinion by focusing on engagement with North Korea.

Relations with US, Japan, China

Moon also emphasized the importance of reviving talks between North Korea and the U.S. and asserted his role as “facilitator” in helping them resume their negotiations. He also set out to dispel the widespread concerns of the health of the Korea-U.S. alliance amid various disputes, such as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine Korea's share of costs of maintaining U.S. troops stationed here.

In this June 12, 2018, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sentosa Island, in Singapore. AP-Yonhap

“This year, the government will make sure to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance,” Moon said. “We will upgrade our traditional alliance to a higher level and work hand in hand to achieve a peace process on the Korean Peninsula.”

The President also mentioned relations with Japan and China, which will continue to be some of his biggest diplomatic focuses this year. “Japan is our closes neighbor,” Moon said. “We will advance our bilateral cooperation to a more future-oriented one. If Japan cancels its export restrictions, I am confident that bilateral relations will improve more swiftly.”

The South Korean leader also showed high expectations for Korea-China relations this year. Bilateral relations have been chilly since a dispute in 2017 over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea. High-level exchanges between the two countries have been rare since but the mood has changed since Moon's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in December 2019. Moon said that upcoming visits by Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Korea will significantly enhance bilateral relations.

'Definite changes'

Another keyword in Moon's speech was the “economy,” with the President mentioning the word 17 times. “I will make sure to revitalize the economy so that the people will be able to experience a definite change with the improved economy,” he said.

“The President mentioned 'definite change' six times. This is because he is intent on getting the people to feel the changes from his policies on promoting inclusive growth, innovation and justice,” a presidential aide told reporters after the address.

The President also said that he will try to increase communication with the people. Moon will be holding a press conference soon to elaborate on his plans for the New Year as he has done for the past two years.