Quiet 2nd Anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Declaration... Will President Moon Achieve a Turnaround at the UN General Assembly?

North Korea Ignores Pyongyang Declaration... The Focal Point of Inter-Korean Relations Disappears
Attention on Reversal Momentum Like the 2017 'Berlin Speech'

President Moon Jae-in is delivering a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the afternoon of September 24 last year (local time).

As the 'September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration' marks its second anniversary, inter-Korean relations remain strained amid North Korea's blatant disregard for South Korea. North Korea, currently focusing all efforts on flood recovery and infectious disease prevention, is expected to pass this anniversary without any mention of the 'Pyongyang Declaration,' just as it did last year. Meanwhile, attention is focused on whether President Moon Jae-in will seize the opportunity during his upcoming speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on the 23rd to propose new initiatives that could serve as a breakthrough to reverse the stagnation in inter-Korean relations.

On the 18th, one day before the Pyongyang Declaration anniversary, both Koreas maintain a quiet atmosphere without any joint events or special commemorations. On the 16th, Minister of Unification Lee In-young visited Panmunjom for the first time since his appointment, urging dialogue between the two Koreas and proposing video reunions and video letter exchanges for separated families, but North Korea has shown no response. Last year, North Korea made no official or propaganda media mention of the Pyongyang Declaration's first anniversary, and this year is expected to be no different.

With North Korea distancing itself from the Pyongyang Declaration and the Panmunjom Declaration?key pillars of inter-Korean relations established by the Moon administration?interest is growing in how President Moon will revive the centripetal force in inter-Korean relations. The turning point is expected to be President Moon’s speech at the UN General Assembly on the 23rd. He has experience breaking the deadlock through public speeches on the international stage during critical moments in the Korean Peninsula situation, notably the 2017 Berlin Declaration.

On July 6, 2017, at the invitation of the K?rber Foundation, President Moon delivered a speech at the old Berlin City Hall in Germany, announcing the 'New Berlin Declaration,' which included four major proposals to North Korea, stating his willingness to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un anytime and anywhere. The proposals included ▲ family reunions ▲ North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics ▲ mutual cessation of hostile acts along the Military Demarcation Line ▲ resumption of inter-Korean dialogue.

At the time, President Moon’s New Berlin Declaration was criticized as "unrealistic," and North Korea’s response was cold. About ten days later, the Rodong Sinmun editorial condemned the Berlin Declaration as "nonsense like sleep-talking." However, in 2018, President Moon’s proposals became reality: high-level talks resumed, North Korea participated in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and a military agreement was reached. This history is why attention is focused on President Moon’s upcoming UN General Assembly speech.

President Moon will deliver the keynote address at the 75th UN General Assembly via video conference around 2 a.m. on the 23rd (around 1 p.m. on the 22nd local time in New York). This will be his fourth participation in the UN General Assembly since taking office. He is expected to seek international support and attention for the South Korean government’s efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. Additionally, a message aimed at easing the strained inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. relations is anticipated. Given North Korea’s dual hardships from floods and infectious diseases, humanitarian aid could serve as a starting point. Recently, the United States has also expressed repeated willingness to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea, citing concerns over its humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, with this year’s UN General Assembly being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is interest in who North Korea will send to participate via video conference. In 2015, Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong attended; from 2016 to 2018, Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho participated; and last year, Ambassador Kim Song spoke.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.