Current Korea

3rd Inter-Korean Summit,
Signpost to Lasting Peace

Promises Peace, Stability on Korean Peninsula

It hasn’t been long since Kim Yo-jong, who attended the PyeongChang
Winter Olympics as a special envoy from North Korea, remarked,
“I would like for us to meet soon in Pyeongyang. I hope that
President Moon Jae-in plays a key role in opening a new chapter of
unification, leaving behind a legacy for future generations.”
Perhaps the atmosphere of peace at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics
had a positive impact on inter-Korean relations.
A long-awaited third inter-Korean summit is now scheduled for the end of April.

Written by Park Ji-yeon Photos courtesy of YonhapNews

Prelude to a Primitive Friendship

‘Primitive friendship’ is a term referring to the camraderie formed while huddling together for warmth in wintertime. This is not a term found in any dictionary, but an expression coined by Korean thinker Shin Young-bok. The term was also quoted by President Moon Jae-in in his welcoming address on the opening day of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, as he brought up Shin Young-bok as a figure he admires greatly. The President’s speech expressed his hope that people gathered from around the world would build stronger friendships in the cold of Pyeongchang. Also included in his hope for ‘primitive friendship’ was a wish for peaceful friendship between the two Koreas.

The victory of the joint Korean team at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships had sown the seeds of peace. Now, it is our fervent hope to reap the harvest of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. How wonderful would a ‘primitive friendship’ between the two Koreas be, if the closest neighbors could offer warmth in wintertime? This is what makes the 3rd inter-Korean summit all the more valuable. Hopes are high for the April meeting between the two Koreas, which could be the prelude for the ‘primitive friendship’ to unfold.

Hotline Between Leaders of North and South

South Korea’s special delegation to the North returned from its visit before the inter-Korean summit was announced. The special delegation was a response in-kind to special envoy Kim Yo-jong’s visit to the South for the PyeongChang Olympics, sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The special delegation was not only warmly received in the North, but its trip has also resulted in a significant step forward in inter-Korean relations. The biggest achievement was the installation of a telephone hotline between the leaders of the two Koreas. According to the National Security Office, North Korea has clearly expressed its will to denuclearize, and has confirmed that it has no reason to hold nuclear weapons if the military threats toward it are removed and if the safety of its regime is ensured. The two Koreas also agreed to install a hotline between their two leaders in order to reduce military tensions and to foster close cooperation. They agreed to conduct their first call before the third inter-Korean summit. The hotline will allow both leaders to call each other directly from their respective offices. This is great news, not only because it’s the first hotline between the leaders of the two Koreas since the division of the Korean Peninsula, but also because it will facilitate continued consultation at the leadership level prior to any inter-Korean summit. It’s also a revolutionary development that will allow the two leaders to continue to consult each other directly regarding inter-Korean issues as they arise.

Long Awaited Spring on the Korean Peninsula

The inter-Korean summit is a precious opportunity for which everyone on the Korean Peninsula and across the international community has been hoping. Of course, both sides have to walk a long path of compromise before they can reach their goals. However, haven’t they already made it this far on a journey that seemed beyond reach? Furthermore, aren’t they already halfway to success? This is what makes us bold enough to hope for more. We hope this tentative inter-Korean summit brings a true spring to inter-Korean relations, and not just a temporary thaw.

Let’s hope that the friendship shown to Korea by the world at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will be rewarded with warm rays of sunlight shining forth from the Korean Peninsula.