Will third inter-Korean summit lead to denuclearization and end-of-war declaration?

Sep 17, 2018, 09:31 am

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Im Jong-seok, presidential chief of staff, announces a list of the entourage for Moon's trip to Pyongyang at Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday./ Source: Yonhap News

By AsiaToday reporter Joo Sung-sik

The historic inter-Korean summit talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-in are just one day away. The upcoming Pyongyang summit is expected to be another journey toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace.

In particular, it is expected that cooperation between the two countries will be sought in various ways as Moon's entourage will be composed of government officials, politicians, and prominent figures in the economy, religion, culture and sports fields.

Im Jong-seok, presidential chief of staff, announced a list of the entourage for Moon's trip to Pyongyang at Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday. The 66-member delegation will be composed of 14 official members representing the government, including Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, and 52 special members, including the ruling Democratic Party head Lee Hae-chan and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.

The most noteworthy point is that 17 members of the business community will be part of Moon's delegation. They include Lee Jae-yong, de facto leader of the Samsung Group, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Hyundai Group leader Hyun Jeong-eun. Representatives of state-owned companies involved in inter-Korean cooperation projects, such as KORAIL and Korea Tourism Organization, will be also joining Moon's entourage. This suggests that the government's "New Economic Map of the Korean Peninsula" drive is expected to be accelerated with the Pyongyang summit.

The third inter-Korean summit, which is scheduled to take place in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20, is expected to focus largely on easing peninsular military tensions rather than the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which was the main agenda of the two previous talks.

"The inter-Korean relations have gone beyond the level where a new declaration is needed," Moon said at a luncheon meeting with his special advisers at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. "At this stage, I believe it is most important to put a complete end to military tensions between North and South, or possibility of military conflict, or war threat."

Besides, it is highly likely that discussions on declaring an end to the Korean War will take place at the Pyongyang meeting in response to Kim's request. Kim is known to have delivered his message of to U.S. President Donald Trump via special South Korean envoys that visited Pyongyang on Sept. 5 saying that he is willing to denuclearize and that he wants an end-of-war declaration.

Depending on the outcome of the third inter-Korean summit, the two Koreas and the United States (or the two Koreas, the United States, and China) could declare an end of the Korean War at the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this month.

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