“Kim Jong-un Plans Formal Nod to Denuclearization, South Korea Says”
Choe Sang-hun
With the inter-Korean summit on its way and North and South Korea exhibiting active communication rarely seen before, there has been word about North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un considering denuclearization. President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Kim Jong-un is set to announce a joint declaration on April 27, which is when the summit meeting will be held. The article says that Kim Jong-un is planning to formally state his willingness to denuclearize North Korea through this declaration. Currently, only the framework has been discussed properly and other details are still being negotiated. Im Jong-seok, Mr. Moon’s chief of staff, stated that the declaration would not be as detailed because specific agreements regarding nuclear weapons would have to be made between Mr. Kim and President Trump. South Korean officials and analysts said that President Moon is hoping for an optimistic conclusion where North Korea agrees to denuclearize, and America makes peace between them.
I chose this article because this summit is an iconic event and part of what seems to be a pattern of North and South Korea’s efforts to relieve the tension between the two Koreas. The recent chain of events such as North Korea’s participation of 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea’s invitation of South Korean singers to the Pyongyang Concert, the upcoming summit, and Kim Jong-un’s audacious invitation to Trump for negotiations over its nuclear program seems to indicate a rapid change of Kim Jong-un’s attitudes that may shape the near future of Korea. It was very surprising to see such changes happening so rapidly in the international relationship between the two countries. I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of negotiations will take place during the summit, and whether or not the Moon administration would be able to thaw the strained relationship between North Korea and South Korea’s past two administrations’ hardline policies. Kim Jong-un’s nod towards denuclearization definitely suggests optimistic views of the future. This issue may lead to more talks of positive diplomacy, possible alliance, and even the reunification of North and South Korea, which would greatly affect South Korea politically, socially, and economically. It also may have personal effects because the future of my country could change drastically, for better or worse, depending on South Korea’s relationship with North Korea and other countries interested in this relationship. Main changes to resolve the issue of North and South Korea would be how the current administration decides to approach North Korea, and whether the future administrations of South Korea decide to continue the post-ideological support and cultural diplomacy, or return to the hardline policies.