hankyoreh

South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg during their joint press conference in Oslo on June 13. (Yonhap News)

On June 13, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is currently on a state visit to Norway, expressed his strong commitment to quickly organizing a fourth inter-Korean summit with the remark that he’s “prepared to engage in dialogue [with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] regardless of the time, location, or format.” In reference to a letter that Kim sent to US President Donald Trump, Moon also said there were “interesting parts that President Trump didn’t disclose,” prompting the interpretation that North Korea has made a proposal for denuclearization that includes more concessions than simply shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear complex.

“As I replied during the Oslo Forum yesterday, I’m ready to meet [Kim] at any time, so the decision is up to Kim,” Moon said during a press conference following his summit in Oslo, Norway, with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, on Thursday.

“I’m not sure whether it’s possible to hold an inter-Korean summit in June. But considering that we’ve arranged a summit before after a very short period of contact and consultation, it’s not physically impossible,” Moon said, leaving open the possibility of a summit.

This was yet another message from Moon expressing his desire to arrange a meeting with Kim, regardless of the format, before Trump visits South Korea at the end of June. During the Oslo Forum the previous day, Moon had said it would be “desirable” to meet Kim prior to Trump’s visit to South Korea.

Moon also stressed the need for “meaningful progress on North Korea’s denuclearization.” “In order to properly develop inter-Korean relations, we’ll have to move forward with several kinds of economic cooperation, including reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and that requires the lifting of international economic sanctions. Lifting those sanctions in turn requires making meaningful progress on North Korea’s denuclearization. Our government’s job is working to bring about those circumstances as quickly as possible,” Moon said.

Moon also made some notable remarks about Kim’s letter to Trump. “The US has generally made known what [was in the letter]. The letter also contained interesting parts that President Trump didn’t disclose,” Moon said, But Moon declined to go into detail, only remarking, “I can’t say anything more than what President Trump has already said.” This has led some to speculate that Kim’s letter offers concessions that go beyond shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear complex. Some even think that Kim may have proposed a third North Korea-US summit.

After his summit with the Norwegian prime minister on Thursday, Moon also agreed to cooperate on eco-friendly ships of the future, hydrogen energy, and sustainable ways to conserve the oceans and the North Pole. “Norway and South Korea are two of the world’s top ship-building countries. We have agreed to cooperate on combining our strength in the development of eco-friendly ships of the future and self-piloting ships. We have furthermore agreed to work together to make the hydrogen economy a reality by developing techniques for the production, utilization, and storage of hydrogen, a next-generation non-polluting energy source,” Moon said.

After leaving Oslo on Thursday morning, Moon accompanied Harald V, king of Norway, on a trip to Bergen, the country’s second-largest city and the center of its shipping industry, for an inspection of the KNM Maud, Norway’s largest replenishment vessle, which Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering delivered to the Norwegian navy this past January.

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

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