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| President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook, left, applaud Lee Hee-ho, right, the widow of late President Kim Dae-jung, during a ceremony at the 63 Building on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit between Kim Dae-jung and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. / Joint Press Corps |
Moon to push for legalization of inter-Korean pacts
By Yi Whan-woo
President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that he is open to dialogue with North Korea if the Kim Jong-un regime suspends its nuclear and ballistic missile provocations.
In a speech to mark the 17th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, Moon also said the inter-Korean agreements made between the liberal Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, and North Korea's Kim Jong-il in the 2000s should be carried out regardless of any change in government.
He cited a need to seek methods to legalize such agreements, while urging Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program and honor the inter-Korean accords.
"I'm willing to talk with North Korea right away if it stops additional nuclear and ballistic missile provocations," he said during the event at the 63 Building on Yeouido, Seoul, to commemorate the summit between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il on June 15, 2000. "Giving up its nuclear programs will serve as proof of North Korea's determination to carry out the inter-Korean accords. And we'll actively help if Pyongyang is willing to do so."
He said topics of possible discussion with North Korea would include how to suspend its nuclear program completely and normalize relations with the United States.
He attributed an inconsistency in North Korea policies as the cause of the failure to stand by the accords, including two landmark declarations signed by the leaders of Seoul and Pyongyang.
The June 15 Joint Declaration, which was adopted by Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il during their 2000 summit in Pyongyang, was aimed at creating a reconciliatory mood on the Korean Peninsula and taking initiatives for inter-Korean unification.
During the second inter-Korean summit in 2007, also in Pyongyang, Roh and Kim Jong-il signed the October 4 Declaration. The two leaders promised to "inherit" the June 15 Joint Declaration and continue to improve cross-border relations.
But Seoul-Pyongyang ties reached their lowest level under the two conservative governments of Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.
"The inter-Korean agreements are precious assets that must be respected regardless of the change in governments," Moon said.
"If they had been kept, there would not have been inconsistency in North Korea policies. And this is why enacting a law to carry out the accords is important.
"Moreover, inter-Korean relations should be newly established and developed to overcome the security crisis we are going through," he added.
Citing Pyongyang's latest demand for Seoul to honor their agreements, Moon criticized the Kim regime for disrespecting them by advancing its nuclear weapons program.
"It is North Korea whose words and behavior do not match the accords," he said.
Moon praised Kim Dae-jung, saying he proved that Koreans were the "main players" concerning issues on the peninsula.
"He created a big shift in inter-Korean relations by bringing about the first inter-Korean summit and showing that peaceful unification is possible," the President said. "In addition, he showed that we Koreans can be in the driver's seat and play a leading role in cooperation with neighboring countries."
The President paid his respects to Lee Hui-ho, the widow of Kim Dae-jung, saying "It'll be our pleasure if she sees peace on the peninsula with her own eyes."
The Moon administration offered a chance for the Kim regime to jointly celebrate the 17th anniversary of the June 2000 summit; but the reclusive state rejected it.
Diplomatic sources speculated that Pyongyang was infuriated by Seoul's decision to join the U.N. Security Council's latest sanctions on the Kim regime over its repeated ballistic missile tests.
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