청 "South and North are managing the situation well and navigating through 'dangerous reefs'"

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Regarding the breakdown of dialogue with North Korea following the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, the Blue House stated that "both South and North Korea are managing the obstacles well as the situation progresses." When asked about President Moon Jae-in's attendance at the United Nations General Assembly, they responded, "Nothing has been confirmed yet."

A Blue House official, responding to questions from reporters on the 1st, said, "The restoration of the military communication hotline is just the first stepping stone laid," explaining the situation.

The official added, "South and North Korea will cautiously place stepping stones one by one through consultation and agreement, and along the way, there will not only be stepping stones but also plenty of obstacles. We cautiously think that both sides are managing one of the raised obstacles well as they move forward, and they will proceed with a sincere and open attitude."

Regarding whether President Moon Jae-in will directly attend the UN General Assembly and deliver a message related to the Korean Peninsula peace process amid the de facto breakdown of inter-Korean dialogue, the official said, "We always hope that South and North Korea can simultaneously send messages related to peace on the Korean Peninsula on such international diplomatic stages whenever possible."

They added, "Considering all these circumstances, the decision on attendance at the UN General Assembly will be made, but nothing has been confirmed yet," withholding further details.

The Blue House official emphasized, "Our government always keeps all possibilities for dialogue with North Korea open, keeping them in mind and preparing accordingly. In particular, through strong South Korea-U.S. cooperation, we are constantly monitoring the situation related to peace on the Korean Peninsula with great attention."

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