By Kim Rahn
President Moon Jae-in has called for unified efforts of people, rival political parties and even North Korea, to maintain the current atmosphere of dialogue with the North after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and have it lead to more talks for peace.
His comments come as the nation is divided on various issues about the Olympics, with some opposing a joint women's ice hockey team and the use of the "unification flag" and others saying Pyongyang is taking advantage of the Games for propaganda.
The President said the Olympics have enabled the North and the South to conduct dialogue face to face, giving the nation a rare and valuable opportunity to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue peacefully and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"The dialogue has come dramatically when the inter-Korean relationship was at its worst since the Korean War and the chance of another war on the peninsula was looming," Moon said in a meeting with secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday.
"North Korea's participation in the Olympics and Paralympic Games and talks for it are meaningful; they will contribute to the success of the Games and the nation's economy, too," he said.
"However, if that is the end of story, we may face unimaginable difficulty in diplomacy and security and it will not be easy for us to get another chance for dialogue. We need wisdom and efforts so this chance for inter-Korean talks, which came like a miracle thanks to the Olympics, can continue after the event."
Moon said the nation needs to make efforts to help the inter-Korean talks lead to talks between Washington and Pyongyang and more, adding that this is the way to address the nuclear issue peacefully and keep prosperity on the peninsula.
"It is difficult to have an opportunity like this. So I ask people to make unified efforts to keep and develop the talks as if they are trying to protect a candle in the wind," he said.
The President also called for efforts from North Korea. "The dialogue has come after a long hiatus, so we may have various difficulties. But for a successful result, the two Koreas will need to try together to overcome them one by one by understanding each other's stance," he said.
Since the beginning of the year, the Koreas have been engaged in talks about the North Korean delegation's participation in the winter sports games. But some of the agreements they made have caused criticism and debates here: opponents say the joint team will give a "free ride" to North Korean athletes; it is inappropriate for the host country to hold the unification flag instead of its own national flag; and the North is stealing the limelight of the Games which the South is hosting.
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| Moon Jae-in |
His comments come as the nation is divided on various issues about the Olympics, with some opposing a joint women's ice hockey team and the use of the "unification flag" and others saying Pyongyang is taking advantage of the Games for propaganda.
The President said the Olympics have enabled the North and the South to conduct dialogue face to face, giving the nation a rare and valuable opportunity to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue peacefully and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"The dialogue has come dramatically when the inter-Korean relationship was at its worst since the Korean War and the chance of another war on the peninsula was looming," Moon said in a meeting with secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday.
However, he said nobody can be optimistic about how long the current mood for dialogue will continue.
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"North Korea's participation in the Olympics and Paralympic Games and talks for it are meaningful; they will contribute to the success of the Games and the nation's economy, too," he said.
"However, if that is the end of story, we may face unimaginable difficulty in diplomacy and security and it will not be easy for us to get another chance for dialogue. We need wisdom and efforts so this chance for inter-Korean talks, which came like a miracle thanks to the Olympics, can continue after the event."
Moon said the nation needs to make efforts to help the inter-Korean talks lead to talks between Washington and Pyongyang and more, adding that this is the way to address the nuclear issue peacefully and keep prosperity on the peninsula.
"It is difficult to have an opportunity like this. So I ask people to make unified efforts to keep and develop the talks as if they are trying to protect a candle in the wind," he said.
The President also called for efforts from North Korea. "The dialogue has come after a long hiatus, so we may have various difficulties. But for a successful result, the two Koreas will need to try together to overcome them one by one by understanding each other's stance," he said.
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