President Moon: "No Preconditions for Inter-Korean Summit... Discussions Should Take Place at the Dialogue Table"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in stated that there are no preconditions for the successful holding of the inter-Korean summit, but added, "The outcome of the election could create a situation where holding an inter-Korean summit would be inappropriate." This is interpreted as meaning that the possibility of an inter-Korean summit may decrease if there is a change in administration.

In a written interview conducted jointly with Yonhap News Agency and the world's seven major news agencies three months before the end of his term, President Moon was asked about the "preconditions for inter-Korean dialogue." He said, "It is not desirable to set preconditions for dialogue. It is also preferable that such preconditions be discussed at the dialogue table."

North Korea has set preconditions for returning to dialogue, including ▲abolishing double standards ▲abolishing hostile policies toward the North.

President Moon said, "If there is a willingness to engage in dialogue, the method?whether face-to-face or via video conference?is not important. We can proceed in the way North Korea prefers," but added, "I do not think there are preconditions for a summit."

However, seemingly aware of his limited remaining term, he added, "Because the time I have left is limited, the upcoming election period and its results could create a situation where holding an inter-Korean summit would be inappropriate."

When asked about the operation of the 'hotline,' President Moon replied, "Chairman Kim Jong-un and I have met several times and had long conversations, building a deep communication and trust relationship. Even when we could not meet, we maintained necessary communication."

He continued, "I hope that the many efforts Chairman Kim Jong-un and I have made together will come to a successful conclusion," and added, "I hope that the efforts we have made so far will yield maximum results and that the dialogue efforts will continue under the next administration."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The declaration of the end of the war has effectively been postponed to the next administration. President Moon said, "Currently, South Korea and the U.S. have reached an agreement on the draft of the 'declaration of the end of the war' to be presented to North Korea. China also supports the declaration," but added, "Achieving the declaration within our administration may be physically too ambitious, but at least I want to further mature the conditions for the declaration and hand them over to the next government."

Regarding North Korea's recent military actions, he said, "If North Korea's successive missile launches escalate to breaking the moratorium declaration, the Korean Peninsula could instantly revert to the crisis situation of five years ago," and emphasized, "It is the political leaders of the relevant countries who must work together to prevent such a crisis through persistent dialogue and diplomacy."

However, in response to the assessment that inter-Korean relations have regressed to five years ago, he argued, "Please look back at the 'war crisis' situation on the Korean Peninsula five years ago, which was created by North Korea's consecutive nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches," and said that the situation now is different. He continued, "During my five-year term, I sought a path toward peace by overcoming the war crisis and shifted the direction from military confrontation to dialogue and diplomacy," evaluating his own efforts.

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