S. Korea's foreign, unification ministers say President Moon should visit North for denuclearization breakthrough
- 6 years ago
With the stalling diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea,... some in South Korea are questioning whether President Moon Jae-in should go ahead with his planned September summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang.
However,... there's also the view that the current situation makes it even more important that the summit go ahead.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
South Korea's foreign and unification ministers say the South Korean government needs to prepare for and go ahead with the upcoming inter-Korean summit... so it can contribute to denuclearization.
At a parliamentary hearing of the budget committee on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that with progress towards denuclearization seeming to slow down, President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang for talks in September could play a big role.
"With no apparent progress on North Korea's denuclearization, the burden on South Korea is big. If things aren't going so well for the North and the U.S., then the South Korean President absolutely has a role."
She noted that the lack of notable developments in the North's disarmament was the reason U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's abruptly canceled his trip there.
But she added that Pyongyang and Washington still have momentum for dialogue.
When the questions turned to Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon, Cho agreed with the foreign minister,... saying it's now all the more crucial for President Moon to go to Pyongyang.
"Now that Pompeo's trip is canceled, September's inter-Korean talks are even more important for denuclearization."
He said that just like how the two Korean leaders made a breakthrough at their talks in May, at a time when Washington had canceled its scheduled summit with North Korea, the next Moon-Kim summit could also get things moving again.
Asked whether Washington agreed with an inter-Korean summit taking place next month, the foreign minister said that since the summit was agreed to in the Panmunjom Declaration, the United States will fully understand.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
However,... there's also the view that the current situation makes it even more important that the summit go ahead.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
South Korea's foreign and unification ministers say the South Korean government needs to prepare for and go ahead with the upcoming inter-Korean summit... so it can contribute to denuclearization.
At a parliamentary hearing of the budget committee on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that with progress towards denuclearization seeming to slow down, President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang for talks in September could play a big role.
"With no apparent progress on North Korea's denuclearization, the burden on South Korea is big. If things aren't going so well for the North and the U.S., then the South Korean President absolutely has a role."
She noted that the lack of notable developments in the North's disarmament was the reason U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's abruptly canceled his trip there.
But she added that Pyongyang and Washington still have momentum for dialogue.
When the questions turned to Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon, Cho agreed with the foreign minister,... saying it's now all the more crucial for President Moon to go to Pyongyang.
"Now that Pompeo's trip is canceled, September's inter-Korean talks are even more important for denuclearization."
He said that just like how the two Korean leaders made a breakthrough at their talks in May, at a time when Washington had canceled its scheduled summit with North Korea, the next Moon-Kim summit could also get things moving again.
Asked whether Washington agreed with an inter-Korean summit taking place next month, the foreign minister said that since the summit was agreed to in the Panmunjom Declaration, the United States will fully understand.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.