hankyoreh

South Korean President Moon Jae-in presides over a plenary session of the National Security Council (NSC) regarding follow-up measures to the North Korea-US summit at the Blue House on June 14. (provided by the Blue House)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s reference on June 14 to the possibility of suspending South Korea-US joint military exercises if inter-Korean and North Korea-US dialogue continue is focusing interest on the reason for his decision.

His remarks are being seen as an attempt to keep pace with improvements in North Korea-US relations amid a clearer focus on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishment of peace since two recent inter-Korean summits and a historic North Korea-US summit in Singapore on June 12.

Presiding over a plenary session of the National Security Council (NSC) that day, President Moon addressed the controversy over US President Donald Trump’s remarks about suspending South Korea-US military exercises in a press conference just after the June 12 summit, stating that he had ordered a careful examination of the suspension plan and close discussions with Washington on the specifics.

“If North Korea genuinely implements denuclearization measures and sincere dialogue toward resolving hostile relations continues between South and North and between North Korea and the US, then there need to be flexible changes in the military pressure on North Korea in the spirit of mutual trust-building as agreed upon in the Panmunjeom Declaration,” he said.

President Moon’s remarks read as a move to back Trump by expressing agreement with the US’s reportedly imminent official announcement suspending the scheduled Ulchi-Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise.

The meeting on June 14 was attended by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon; Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha; Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon; Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo; Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Boo-kyum; National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon; and director Chung Eui-yong, first deputy director Lee Sang-cheol, and second deputy director Nam Kwan-pyo from the Blue House National Security Office.

In a telephone interview with The Hankyoreh, a key Blue House official alluded to the possibility of joint exercises being suspended.

“If you consider the fact that the explicit reason behind the first turbulence in otherwise smooth inter-Korean relations after the Panmunjeom inter-Korean summit on Apr. 27 – and the reason the prospects for the North Korea-US summit became uncertain – was the Max Thunder joint military exercise between South Korea and the US, [a suspension] would be meaningful in terms of eliminating a potential stumbling block in terms of implementing follow-up measures for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and North Korean regime security guarantees,” the official suggested.

On May 16, North Korea notified the South that it intended to suspend high-level inter-Korean talks scheduled for that day over the issue of joint exercises. Some analysts have suggested the US may be preemptively moving to address the tricky issue, which is likely to draw objections from security-sensitive South Korean conservatives if Seoul were to first propose a suspension of exercises to the US.

Moon emphasizes “shared prosperity of South and North as the new zeitgeist”

During the June 14 meeting, President Moon also shared his vision for the future of the Korean Peninsula after the end of the Cold War regime.

“The peace and development of the Korean Peninsula should be approached from a more comprehensive perspective,” he said.

“It’s time for us to go beyond security issues of North Korea’s denuclearization and regime security and accept peace on the Korean Peninsula and the shared prosperity of South and North as the new zeitgeist,” he continued.

“It is time to think about bold and innovative challenges that can usher in an era of great changes in peace and prosperity, with South Korean leaving behind its status as an island on the continent and connecting South and North across land and sea.”

Earlier that morning, President Moon met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo, who had arrived the day before for his first official visit to South Korea, asked President Moon in the meeting to “play a leading role in North Korea’s denuclearization process,” the Blue House reported.

Pompeo also asked President Moon to take advantage of his friendly relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and hold close discussions as North Korea’s denuclearization and the development of inter-Korean relations progress, the Blue House said.

In response, President Moon said he would “work to actively communicate with North Korea so that inter-Korean relations and North Korea-US relations develop together in a positive feedback loop and [North Korea’s] definite denuclearization is achieved quickly,” Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum reported.

President Moon was also quoted as saying the “dim view that some experts are taking of the North Korea-US summit outcome is a long way from how the public sees it.”

By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]