The leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, met for the third time Tuesday to discuss denuclearisation and putting an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
The leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, met for the third time Tuesday to discuss denuclearisation and putting an end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Moon landed in Pyongyang this morning to a warm welcome from Kim, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and a contingent of North Koreans who greeted him with flowers, flags, a blue and white map symbolising a unified peninsula and a sign that read: ‘We ardently welcome President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang’, reported The Associated Press.
The two leaders will hold talks between 3.30 to 5 pm (6.30 to 8 pm IST) on Tuesday at the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon is staying. Incidentally, it was at the same guesthouse where two former South Korean presidents met with Kim’s father, Kim Jong II, to hold talks in 2000 and 2007.
Kim and Moon will engage in a second round of talks on Wednesday, following which they are expected to deliver a joint statement and sign a separate military pact intended to defuse tension between the countries, according to AP. Moon will return to the South on Thursday.
Significance of the Inter-Korean Summit
Ahead of the summit, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in a statement said that the summit is an important opportunity in “further accelerating the development” in relations between the rivals, reported AP. Moon, meanwhile, said he will push for “irreversible, permanent peace” and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.
The outcome of this summit is being watched closely by the US. The talks are likely to be seen as a prelude to the next proposed meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump. In fact, Trump has made Moon the “chief negotiator” between himself and Kim.
Washington has taken a tough stance in its approach towards Pyongyang, with Trump cancelling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to North Korea in August citing lack of action taken towards denuclearisation. The US has also been pushing other countries to observe sanctions against North Korea regarding funding for its nuclear missiles programme.
While North Korea claims it has destroyed its main nuclear test site and stopped its missile tests, US experts believe the country continues to develop weapons in secret.
Previous summits between Kim and Moon
The two leaders have met twice before, on April 27 and on May 26 this year. Both meetings were held at the border village of Panmunjom. During these two summits, they agreed to strengthen ties to achieve peace and prosperity, take steps towards reunification of the Korean peninsula and pursue bilateral economic cooperation.
During the April meet, Kim became the first member of the ruling Kim dynasty to cross to the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone since the Korean War ended. Moon’s visit to the North Korean capital Tuesday, meanwhile, is the first by a South Korean leader in 11 years.
Moon is accompanied by 150 others sports, entertainment and government leaders including Samsung Electronics Vice-Chairman and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group. They are expected to meet North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam, who is also in charge of economic affairs.
The two leaders will hold talks between 3.30 to 5 pm (6.30 to 8 pm IST) on Tuesday at the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where Moon is staying. Incidentally, it was at the same guesthouse where two former South Korean presidents met with Kim’s father, Kim Jong II, to hold talks in 2000 and 2007.
Kim and Moon will engage in a second round of talks on Wednesday, following which they are expected to deliver a joint statement and sign a separate military pact intended to defuse tension between the countries, according to AP. Moon will return to the South on Thursday.
Significance of the Inter-Korean Summit
Ahead of the summit, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in a statement said that the summit is an important opportunity in “further accelerating the development” in relations between the rivals, reported AP. Moon, meanwhile, said he will push for “irreversible, permanent peace” and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.
The outcome of this summit is being watched closely by the US. The talks are likely to be seen as a prelude to the next proposed meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump. In fact, Trump has made Moon the “chief negotiator” between himself and Kim.
Washington has taken a tough stance in its approach towards Pyongyang, with Trump cancelling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to North Korea in August citing lack of action taken towards denuclearisation. The US has also been pushing other countries to observe sanctions against North Korea regarding funding for its nuclear missiles programme.
While North Korea claims it has destroyed its main nuclear test site and stopped its missile tests, US experts believe the country continues to develop weapons in secret.
Previous summits between Kim and Moon
The two leaders have met twice before, on April 27 and on May 26 this year. Both meetings were held at the border village of Panmunjom. During these two summits, they agreed to strengthen ties to achieve peace and prosperity, take steps towards reunification of the Korean peninsula and pursue bilateral economic cooperation.
During the April meet, Kim became the first member of the ruling Kim dynasty to cross to the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone since the Korean War ended. Moon’s visit to the North Korean capital Tuesday, meanwhile, is the first by a South Korean leader in 11 years.
Moon is accompanied by 150 others sports, entertainment and government leaders including Samsung Electronics Vice-Chairman and the chiefs of SK Group and LG Group. They are expected to meet North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong Nam, who is also in charge of economic affairs.