Ahn Cheol-soo Urges North Korea's Kim Jong-un to "Clearly Declare Denuclearization Intentions"

On the 23rd, posted an 'Open Letter to Chairman Kim Jong-un' on Facebook
Proposed that North and South overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19 together

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, sent an open letter on the 23rd to Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, sincerely requesting him to "clearly express his will for denuclearization and declare the resumption of dialogue."

On the morning of the same day, Ahn posted a message titled "An Open Letter to Chairman Kim Jong-un" on Facebook, stating, "I am sending this open letter after seeing the announcement by the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th that they will 'completely reconsider confidence-building measures.'"

Ahn said, "I sincerely hope this does not mean the lifting of the moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches," explaining, "Resuming nuclear tests and ICBM launches is not a good method, and nothing can be gained from it."

He continued, "It must be frustrating to trust only the words of the Moon Jae-in administration and then face reality, and with North Korea-US relations running parallel without progress, the future is uncertain. To prevent internal unrest and strengthen unity amid concerns about leadership damage, strong measures will be necessary," adding, "However, resuming nuclear tests and ICBM launches will only worsen the situation. Displays of force or brinkmanship tactics will not work on the Republic of Korea and the international community."

Ahn also said, "From Chairman Kim’s perspective, he may want to consolidate internal control through hardline measures such as resuming nuclear tests and ICBM launches, raise US attention and focus, and create a new stage for negotiations. He may also want to send a signal to South Korean presidential candidates not to forget him," emphasizing, "But let me be clear, that can never be a good strategy."

He added, "The new stage that Chairman Kim desires can be created through genuine will and practice of denuclearization," and said, "If you want to present meaningful achievements to the people on the upcoming February Kwangmy?ngs?ng Day or April Day of the Sun, you must comply with the moratorium on nuclear tests and ICBM launches, not engage in further shows of force or provocations, and clearly state your genuine will for denuclearization and the plans North Korea can take."

Along with this, he proposed that the South and North overcome the difficulties caused by COVID-19 together. Ahn said, "If political and military aspects are completely excluded and humanitarian aid from the international community and us is accepted, it will greatly help the advancement of inter-Korean relations," adding, "The pandemic does not end by eradicating it in only one country. In that sense, eradicating COVID-19 on the Korean Peninsula is a joint task for both South and North Korea."

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