North Korea remains committed to US dialogue, denuclearisation, says Moon

May 28, 2018

SEOUL - President Moon Jae-in says North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, remains committed to holding a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump - and to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Moon held a press briefing at the Presidential Palace, Cheong Wa Dae, to personally announce the outcome of a second inter-Korean summit that took place one day earlier at on the northern side of Panmunjeom.

“Chairman Kim made clear once again his intentions to completely denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, as he did in the Panmunjeom Declaration,” Moon said.

“He expressed his willingness to work together to promote peace and prosperity as well as to put an end to the history of war and confrontation through the success of a North Korea-United States summit” 

“Sharing the common understanding that the June 12 North Korea-U.S. summit should be held in a successful manner and that our journey toward denuclearisation and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula must not stop under any circumstances, we two leaders agreed to closely work together toward these ends.”

Moon said, “I delivered to Kim the message of President Trump that he has a firm resolve to put an end to hostility toward North Korea and to work on economic co-operation with the North if Chairman Kim decides decisively to put complete denuclearisation into action.

“In particular, since both Chairman Kim and President Trump are sincerely hoping for the success of their summit, I emphasised that it is necessary for the two sides to engage in direct talks to eliminate misunderstandings and have sufficient preliminary, working-level negotiations concerning the agenda that needs to be agreed upon at the summit.

"I believe that a summit, as well as working-level talks, between the two countries will work out well, as both sides clearly recognise what they want from each side." 

Moon said both sides had agreed to convene inter-Korean high-level talks on June 1 to be followed by talks between military authorities to ease tensions, and Red Cross talks for the reunion of separated families.

He said, “Yesterday’s summit was held like a routine meeting between friends. We agreed to communicate and to sit together to have candid discussions whenever necessary.”

North Korea itself announced the results of the second summit immediately through major news outlets, including the Korean Central News Agency. The newsagency said Chairman Kim had vowed to engage actively in efforts to improve inter-Korean ties and to establish permanent and solid peace on the peninsula.

"The two leaders made satisfactory agreements on issues they discussed at the summit," the North Korean news report  said.

US President Trump also mentioned the possibility of reinstating the cancelled June 12 summit with North Korea.
He posted on his Twitter feed on May 26, the day of the second summit: "We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the summit, which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12, and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date."

www.korea.kr (ATI).