hankyoreh

The Apr. 27 Inter-Korean Summit at the House of Peace in Panmunjeom. Representing South Korea are Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok and National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon

The Blue House announced on May 3 that it had convened an inaugural meeting of its Panmunjeom Declaration implementation committee. Chaired by Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, the committee was assembled to implement the terms agreed upon by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their Apr. 27 summit. The committee made plans to hold high-level inter-Korean talks in mid-May, selecting the area of forestry cooperation for its first concrete project.

“To maintain continuity from the inter-Korean summit preparation committee and smoothly implement the agreement terms, the implementation committee was developed in a combined administration/Blue House format,” Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum said in a briefing that day.

The chairperson will be Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, while Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon will be general secretary,” Kim added.

The members from the administration are to be Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon, and Office for Government Policy Coordination director Hong Nam-ki, while National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong and Policy Chief of Staff Jang Ha-sung will be taking part from the Blue House.

The committee is to include subcommittees for advancement of inter-Korean relations, denuclearization and establishment of a peace regime, and communication/publicity.

“A forestry cooperation research task force is to be established in the inter-Korean relations advancement subcommittee. We plan to begin priority efforts in that area, which is the one most needed by the North and one where we have a lot of experience,” Kim Eui-kyum said.

“We intend to hold high-level inter-Korean talks by the middle of this month, with the results from that to be carried forward into working-level talks [with the participation of different government ministries and offices and/or the private sector],” he continued.