Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to offer new proposals for inter-Korean engagement following the high-stakes nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Moon’s announcement is planned for a ceremony on Friday marking the 100th anniversary of a 1919 uprising by Koreans against Japan’s colonial rule and will likely include plans for economic cooperation between the rival Koreas.
Moon, who has prioritised improving relations with the North, is desperate for a breakthrough in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang so he can continue his ambitious drive for inter-Korean engagement. He has driven the three-way diplomacy but is held back by tough US-led sanctions against the North.
In a meeting with senior aides on Monday, Moon expressed hope on the material progress of the North’s nuclear disarmament and the easing of the sanctions, which would allow further space for inter-Korean cooperation, including joint economic projects.
Moon earlier told Trump in a phone conversation that the South was ready to proceed with inter-Korean economic projects to induce further nuclear disarmament steps from the North.
Moon and Kim at their third summit in North Korea’s capital last September agreed to normalize operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North’s Diamond Mountain resort when possible, voicing optimism that international sanctions could end and allow such projects. (AP)
