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South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting of the National Security Council at the Blue House on Jan. 21. (Yonhap News)

President Moon Jae-in directed government agencies involved in foreign affairs and national security to come up with new ways of breaking North Korea-US and inter-Korean dialogue out of their deadlock.

While receiving operational reports at the Blue House on Jan. 21 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Unification (MOU), and the Ministry of National Defense (MND), Moon urged them to “do your best to get the peace clock turning again by quickly bringing an end to the long impasse we’ve experienced since the Hanoi summit [in February 2019 between North Korea and the US] broke down.” Moon also urged them to develop new methods to achieve breakthroughs in North Korea-US and inter-Korean dialogue.

“Without being too hasty, I want you to look at this as the last year given to our administration,” he said, calling on the ministries to “cooperate more proactively in establishing a driving force for progress in inter-Korean relations and the peace process as masters of the Korean Peninsula’s destiny.”

He also stressed that the “Korean Peninsula peace process is not a choice, but a path that we must take.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” he added.

Moon additionally stressed the importance of cooperation with the newly inaugurated Joe Biden administration in the US.

“The government will continue working closely with the new Biden administration in the US to achieve progress with the Korean Peninsula peace process, while doing its very best with North Korea so that we can return to a path of dialogue and cooperation,” he said.

He added that the South Korean government would “continue responding more actively and assertively to the changing international order and security environment based on a robust South Korea-US alliance, while developing that alliance into a more comprehensive and reciprocal alliance of responsibility.”

He also stressed the importance of friendly relations with China, Japan, and other neighbors. In China’s case, he noted the laying of “groundwork for proceeding toward a more advanced relationship as we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations next year.” In Japan’s case, he called for an approach of “developing into a future-oriented relationship,” adding that this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo “need to be regarded as an opportunity for improving South Korea-Japan relations and advancing peace in Northeast Asia.”

The operational reports were held in conjunction with a plenary session of the National Security Council. In addition to Moon, the meeting was attended by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won, and National Security Office Director Suh Hoon, First Deputy Director Seo Ju-seok, and Second Deputy Director Kim Hyeong-jin. Reports were given by Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Unification Lee In-young, and Minister of National Defense Suh Wook.

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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