Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Just one line on North Korea
President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stroll on a bridge at the border village of Panmunjeom during their first summit on April 27, 2018. Korea Times file
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
President Moon has usually made a point of making some kind of gesture to North Korea during his key speeches up until now, but North Korea was glaringly absent in his speech, Sunday, except for one short line about urging health cooperation on fighting COVID-19. “I hope that South and North Korea will move toward a single community of life and peace by cooperating on human security,” Moon said. This was the only time in the 25-minute speech that he referred to North Korea.
The almost nonexistent mention of North Korea was taken as a huge surprise as Moon has eagerly expressed his intention to improve inter-Korean ties despite the deadlock in U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks. But Moon said the proposals he has made since the beginning of the year were still valid.
“Although today is the third anniversary of my inauguration, please understand that I'm not going to tell you about the whole state of affairs, but I'm focusing on the various economic crises that we're facing and measures to overcome the national crisis,” Moon said after the speech during a brief question-and-answer session with reporters.
“As you know, communication between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the U.S. is not very smooth now. However, communication continues. Through the ensuing communication, we are now confirming our trust and willingness to talk to each other between the two Koreas as well as North Korea and the U.S.”
“The existing proposals are all valid, such as connecting the North-South railway, turning the Demilitarized Zone into an international peace zone, individual travel, reunions of separated families and joint excavation of remains. However, North Korea has not responded to them yet. I think there will be many difficulties because of the COVID-19 situation.”
Bad timing for summit proposal
Experts have largely predicted that Moon would not be making any new proposals this time around.
“This is not the time to propose a summit. Just like us, North Korea is also trying to overcome COVID-19,” Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told The Korea Times.
“If the COVID-19 situation continues, we will use this time to make the necessary preparations for inter-Korean relations, such as seeking exemption from U.N. sanctions or keeping up communication with the United States. When the two countries are done fighting COVID-19, the first thing they will likely work on is reviving the inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean city of Gaeseong.”
There had been some speculation that Moon could possibly make a bold suggestion to revive his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with some important landmark dates ahead. The June 15 Declaration, an outcome of the first inter-Korean summit, will mark its 20th anniversary next month. The two countries will also mark the 70th year since the outbreak of the Korean War. Kim has not yet reciprocated Moon's visit to Pyongyang in September 2018, which would be the fourth meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
Moon's mention of diplomacy did not cover bilateral relations with the U.S., China or Japan, but was in relation to promoting international cooperation on COVID-19, particularly on the back of Korea's strength in responding to the pandemic.
“We will lead an international order of solidarity and cooperation that prioritizes people's lives and safety. The creative methods and principles of openness, transparency and democracy that we have shown in our efforts to combat the virus have become a world-class success model. Our society has created this together as a whole. Actions like volunteering and donating combined with the spirit of solidarity and cooperation have established the Republic of Korea's national status and become a source of international leadership,” Moon said.
“A favorable assessment by the international community has significantly expanded Korea's diplomatic horizons. Our country now stands at the center of international cooperation, and the Republic of Korea's status on multilateral stages such as G20 and ASEAN Plus Three has risen.”