Rival Koreas set up April 27 summit
Two countries to hold working talks prior to crunch summit at the truce village
Announcement comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledges his commitment to denuclearisation
North and South Korea will hold their first summit in more than a decade on April 27, South Korean officials said yesterday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged his commitment to denuclearisation as tensions ease between the old foes.
South Korean officials, who announced the summit date after high-level talks with North Korean counterparts, said the summit agenda would largely be the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and an improvement of inter-Korean relations.
The two Koreas had agreed to hold the summit at the border truce village of Panmunjom when South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a delegation to Pyongyang this month to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Yesterday’s meeting was the first high-level dialogue between the two Koreas since the delegation returned from the North.
Issues to resolve
The two sides said in a joint statement they would hold a working-level meeting on April 4 to discuss details of the summit, such as staffing support, security and news releases.
“We still have a fair number of issues to resolve on a working-level for preparations over the next month,” said Ri Son-gwon, the chairman of North Korea’s committee for the peaceful reunification of the country in closing remarks to the South Korean delegation.
“But if the two sides deeply understand the historic significance and meaning of this summit and give their all, we will be able to solve all problems swiftly and amicably,” Ri added. Tension over North Korea’s tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile surged last year and raised fears of US military action in response to North Korean threat to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States.
But tension has eased significantly since North Korea decided to send athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. The neighbours are technically still at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended with a ceasefire, not a truce. China commended the two sides for their efforts to improve ties.