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President Moon Jae-in makes an address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

President Moon Jae-in stressed the need for improvements in inter-Korean relations, proclaiming a “four no” approach that includes avoiding hostile acts or military attacks against North Korea, attempts to undermine or replace its government, and efforts to artificially hasten reunification.

Moon‘s agreement on these principles during his summit with US President Donald Trump is being seen as laying a foundation for dialogue toward North Korea’s denuclearization. Moon reportedly plans to announce a “Moon Jae-in doctrine” - a vision and proposal for North Korea policy structured around these “four nos” - during his July 5-8 visit to Germany to attend the G-20 Summit.

Moon shared the principles during a June 30 dinner for invited Korea experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) during his Washington visit for the South Korea-US summit.

“Neither President Trump nor I will be pursuing antagonistic policies toward North Korea,” he said.

“We do not intend to attack North Korea, nor do we want the replacement or collapse of the North Korean regime. We will not artificially hasten unification of the Korean Peninsula either,” he continued.

President Moon Jae-in “four nos” on North Korea

Moon also said Washington‘s relationship with Pyongyang “may improve in the process of South Korea working with the US’s coordination to improve inter-Korean relations.”

“I shared a deep conversation on this visit with President Trump. We agreed to work more actively to protect and forge peace,” he added, stressing that the “four nos” had been agreed upon with Washington.

“Our new direction will be a move away from ‘strategic patience’ toward using all available means to bring North Korea to the negotiating table,” Moon continued.

“There also needs to be dialogue with [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un. He is the only person who can make the decision to end North Korea‘s nuclear program,” he said.

Moon’s “four nos” approach is significant as an agreement between Seoul and Washington on principles for approaching Pyongyang. The two leaders‘ joint statement the same morning said they had emphasized that “the United States and the ROK do not maintain a hostile policy toward North Korea.” The approach also echoes the “three nos” stated by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a May 3 address to State Department employees: no military attacks, regime replacement or collapse, or artificially hastening of reunification.

“The ‘four nos’ stated by President Moon Jae-in were an attempt to bring North Korea into denuclearization dialogue by announcing that it will not do the things North Korea fears most,” explained an inter-Korean relations expert who worked on Moon’s presidential election campaign.

Moon is expected to present his visit for North Korean policy - including the “four nos” message - in a Korber Foundation invitational speech scheduled for his July 5-8 Germany visit. Late former President Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003) was also in Germany when he delivered his Berlin Declaration of Mar. 9, 2000, which proposed large-scale economic support to North Korea, dialogue between South and North Korea, and the sending of special envoys. Kim‘s Berlin Declaration ended up bearing fruit three months later with the first-ever inter-Korean summit and June 15 Joint Declaration.

In the summit at the White House on the morning of June 30, Moon and Trump agreed on strengthening the South Korea-US alliance, continuing to coordinate closely on North Korea policy, and promoting economic growth to develop fair trade. The two sides have also pledged to hold regular 2+2 foreign and defense minister meetings and senior-level extended deterrence strategy meeting to beef up their security coordination. But Trump also showed his strong intent to renegotiate the South Korea-US Free Trade Agreement during the joint press announcement, suggesting the issue is likely to become the biggest focus of attention between the two sides.

By Choi Hye-jung and Jung In-hwan, staff reporters, and Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent

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