President Moon Jae-in speaks during a luncheon with inter-Korean senior advisors, at Cheong Wa Dae on Sept. 13. (Cheong Wa Dae)

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a luncheon with inter-Korean senior advisors, at Cheong Wa Dae on Sept. 13. (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Kim Min-Jeung 

President Moon Jae-in has announced that the objectives of the upcoming third inter-Korean summit, to be held from Sept. 18 to 20, are to develop and improve inter-Korean ties, and to accelerate and mediate U.S.-North Korea talks.

The remarks came during a luncheon with senior advisors from the South who attend the inter-Korean summits, at Cheong Wa Dae on Sept. 13, five days before the third inter-Korean summit.

“The inter-Korean relationship is proceeding faster than we expected,” said the president. He emphasized that during the upcoming summit his government will focus mainly on ending any fear about threats of war or worries about military clashes between the two Koreas.

Concerning the U.S.-North Korea relationship, the president downplayed any pessimism, saying that the leaders of the two countries are building trust by continuously exchanging personal letters. He elaborated by saying that Pyeongyang’s stance is complete denuclearization, along with nuclear disarmament, whereas the U.S. wants an end to hostile relations and measures to secure the North Korean regime.

President Moon stressed that the South Korean government’s role is “to find the point of agreement between the U.S. and North Korea so that the two countries can accelerate conversation and speed up denuclearization.”

jer2co@korea.kr