Talks back on

PRESIDENT Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the northern side of Panmunjeom Saturday at Kim’s request. The surprise meeting came only a month after their first meeting on the southern side of the truce village, producing the Panmunjeom Declaration aimed at eventually ending the 1950-53 Korean War and establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The second Moon-Kim meeting came after US President Donald Trump said he would cancel a summit with the North Korean leader, which had been planned for June 12, in an open letter last week to Kim, after the two countries’ continued spats over North Korea’s denuclearisation.

The second Moon-Kim meeting took place without notice. The local media learnt of it after the two-hour meeting was over and Moon held a press conference yesterday.

He relayed what was discussed and took questions from reporters. Although some of his answers were still vague, particularly regarding North Korea’s full commitment to denuclearisation, the meeting had very special meaning for three reasons.

First, the meeting was a follow-up measure to the April 27 inter-Korean summit where the two leaders agreed to meet “any time, anywhere” to discuss common issues regarding the Korean people. It is unprecedented for the leaders of the two Koreas to meet back to back.

Second, the second Moon-Kim meeting revives momentum for Moon’s determination to be in the “driver’s seat” in realising peace. His critics have been sceptical of this. Such criticism seemed justified, particularly after Trump’s letter.

Third, the latest inter-Korean summit sets a fantastic example for the future. “For a long time, I have stressed that we must meet regularly to resolve conflict and seek direct communication,” Moon said yesterday. He placed as much significance to this meeting as the first.