Current Korea

A New Start for Peace,
2018 Inter-Korean Summit

Beginning the Journey to Peace and Prosperity on the Korean Peninsula

“Here in Pyeongchang, the Korean female ice hocky team, the first inter-Korean
team in the history of the Olympics, is preparing for its first match.
The 2.7g table tennis ball grew into a 170g puck 27 years later.
North and South will become one at the Kwandong Hockey Center tomorrow.
As the athletes of the North and South help each other towards victory,
their partnership will be remembered as an echo of peace
sounding through the world.”

- President Moon Jae-in, welcoming speech at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Opening ceremony reception -

Written by Park Ji-yeon Photos courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

From Pyeongchang to Peace

The President’s promise of an ‘echo of peace sounding through the world’ finally became reality with the 2018 inter-Korean summit. The successful agreement to hold the third inter-Korean summit can be attributed to the unrelenting efforts of President Moon Jae-in, which began last year at his inauguration as he vowed in his address that he would “not rest until peace is settled on the Korean Peninsula,” and to “do whatever he can in Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, and anywhere as necessary.” On the 17th anniversary of the June 15th South-North Joint Declaration, he reaffirmed his determination, mentioning that he plans “for the history of the Miracle on the Han River to create a Miracle on the Daedong River, and in turn, a Miracle on the Korean Peninsula,” while highlighting the need for interaction and cooperation between the people of the two Koreas. Since his inauguration, the president has consistently emphasized and made appeals for peace, prosperity and denuclearization of the peninsula at every speaking engagement, including the Körber Foundation Invitational Speech, the commemorative speech on National Liberation Day, the keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, the speech for the 10th anniversary of the October 4 Declaration, the new year’s address, speeches at the National Assembly, his guest lecture at Beijing University.

With the two Koreas expressing their will to improve inter-Korean relations leading up to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, high level talks were held for the first time in over 2 years, and the two sides agreed to North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the two Korean teams marching in together, and the creation of a joint team. The two Koreas continued this dialogue sparked off by the preparation for the Pyeongchang Olympics of peace.

The Samjiyon Orchestra visited the South, while South Korean skiers visited the North. A high level delegation, including a head of state level personnel under the North Korean constitution, came to South Korea for the first time since the division of Korea, and special envoy Kim Yo Jong delivered a letter from chairman Kim Jong Un inviting President Moon Jae-in to Pyeongyang. In response, President Moon Jae-in sent a special delegation to Pyeongyang, which returned with news of an inter-Korean summit to be held in April.

Just like the warm rays of spring we awaited in Pyeongchang, the inter-Korean summit finally became reality.

Journey to Peace and Prosperity,
the 3^rd Inter-Korean Summit

The two Koreas have been working to heal the wounds from the national tragedy of division, notwithstanding the many conflicts arising over the long period spent apart. Although there have been many crises, these continuing efforts led to the1^st inter-Korean summit, the first in 55 years spent as a divided nation. In June 2000, President Kim Dae-jung, in the third year of his administration, and chairman Kim Jong Il of North Korea held the historic first ever inter-Korean summit. Here, the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration for the two Koreas to move beyond animosity to open a new era of rapprochement based on mutual recognition of each other’s political systems was adopted. Specifically, the two sides agreed to work together to resolve the issue of separated families, and expand economic, social and cultural exchange. This was followed by the 2^nd inter-Korean summit in 2007, at which chairman Kim Jong Il and President Roh Moo-hyun agreed on the need to build a permanent peace regime and cessation of the ceasefire regime through the October 4 Declaration. They agreed to bring the three parties or four parties together on the Korean peninsula to discuss the declaration of the end of the war. Furthermore, they also agreed to implement joint projects in a wide range of fields from politics to the economy. The two Koreas, which waited 55 years to hold the 1^st inter-Korean summit, achieved the 2^nd inter-Korean summit just 7 years after the first, and have been eagerly awaiting the 3^rd inter-Korean summit. Finally, after an 11-year wait, the 3^rd inter-Korean summit became reality.

Beyond the Korean Peninsula to the World

There is another reason, apart from peace between the two Koreas, for the global interest in the 2018 inter-Korean summit. This is because the summit is planned to lead up to the first ever North Korea-United States summit. Currently, the United States and North Korea are discussing details such as timing, location and agenda, to prepare for the summit with mutual determination and sincerity.

The North Korea-United States summit will have huge historical and global significance just by the fact of its actualization. As both parties are preparing for it with determination, we may even hope for outcomes that take big strides in the denuclearization and achievement of permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.

The inter-Korean summit and the North Korea-United States summit will be valuable opportunities to achieve denuclearization, establish permanent peace, and open the path to shared prosperity on the Korean peninsula. If the inter-Korean summit and the North Korea-United States summit are a series of successes, a historical milestone will have been achieved towards the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear proliferation issue and the creation of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula, long awaited and supported by the international community.

We must remember that we currently stand at the starting line of “Peace, the new beginning.” When the starting signal rings, we have to sprint forward. We cannot and must not run backwards, nor run away. Now that peace on the Korean Peninsula is not a dream but a reality within our grasp, we must stand together and leap over this miraculous starting line as one.