Policy Review

Commitment to Peace,
Ensuring Stability for the Nation

“I will work busily for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
I will fly straight to Washington if necessary. I will go to Beijing and Tokyo,
and if the conditions are right, to Pyeongyang, as well.
I will do everything I can for the goal of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

- President Moon’s inauguration speech, May 10, 2017 -

Written by Park Ji-yeon, Photos courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

TOP 3 POLICIES
First Year Under Moon Administration

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This section provides an overview of successful policies
implemented by the Moon Jae-in administration,
in commemoration of its first anniversary on May 10, 2018.
The previous topic was about communication.

[ PEACE ]

Steadfast Vision for Inter-Korean Policy

Despite challenging conditions created by North Korea’s repeated missile launches and nuclear weapons tests after his inauguration in May 2017, President Moon has been consistent in his stance that peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula should be achieved through inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation.

On the 17th anniversary of the 2000 Inter-Korean Summit, President Moon expressed his intention to hold talks with North Korea if it suspended its nuclear weapons and missile tests. Then, at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, he proposed that North Korea participate in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. During an interview with NBC, he also indicated the possibility of postponing ROK-U.S. joint military exercises until after the PyeongChang Olympics if the North stopped its provocations. His repeated proposals to North Korea led to chairman of the State Affairs Committee Kim Jong Un, in his 2018 New Year’s address, announcing his willingness to send a North Korean team to the PyeongChang Games and to resume inter-Korean dialogue. This was the point at which President Moon’s steadfast vision of peace and his sincere “peace first” North Korea policy began to bear fruit.

2018 Inter-Korean Summit
and the Panmunjeom Declaration

The PyeongChang Games were attended by president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea Kim Yong Nam, 1st vice department director of the Central Committee of the WPK(Worker’s Party of Korea) Kim Yo Jong, and vice-chairman of the Party Central Committee Kim Yong Chol, alongside North Korean athletes, a performance troupe and a group of cheerleaders. Special envoy Kim Yo Jong delivered a personal letter from chairman Kim Jong Un to President Moon, who in turn sent a special delegation led by Chief Advisor of National Security Chung Eui-yong to Pyeongyang. As a result, the Inter-Korean Summit was held on April 27, 2018, with the top North Korean leader stepping into South Korean territory for the first time since the division of Korea. Global attention was drawn to the fact that the summit was held in Panmunjeom, a town symbolic of Korean division. More remarkable was the outcome of the summit, which saw the two leaders jointly announcing the Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, which stipulates complete denuclearization, the creation of a platform for epoch-making progress in inter-Korean relations, and the permanent cessation of war on the Korean Peninsula.

The Moon administration plans to bolster the effectiveness of the Panmunjeom Declaration by sharing the outcome of the Inter-Korean Summit, promoting and supporting discussions between North Korea and the U.S., and taking timely follow-up measures.

With the Inter-Korean Summit having led to the North Korea-United States Summit, the Korean Peninsula is now entering a historic turning point that could mean denuclearization, peace, and a dramatically improved inter-Korean relationship. Behind this dramatic transition toward peace was President Moon’s vision and perseverance, demonstrated in his continuous calls for dialogue with North Korea and his ability to persuade the international community, all while maintaining a steadfast commitment to peace.