President Moon Jae-in said, “The improving of inter-Korean relations and the solving of North Korean nuclear issue should be achieved together.”

President Moon made the remarks at a New Year’s message he delivered at a news conference at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 10. 

“The solving of the North Korean nuclear issue can lead to the improving of inter-Korean ties, and inversely, the improving of inter-Korean relationships will contribute to the solving of the North Korean nuclear issue,” he said. 

His remarks may be construed as his confirming a stance of solving the North Korean nuclear issue as a precondition for improving inter-Korean ties, even though South and North Korea achieved a breakthrough by agreeing on North Korea’s participating in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and holding military talks during high-level officials’ inter-Korean dialogue on Jan. 9.

“South and North Korea’s joint declaration of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is our basic principle that cannot be yielded,” the South Korea’s chief executive said. 

He stressed denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a process and goal needed to achieve peace. President Moon set denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as South Korea’s ultimate goal, even though inter-Korean ties are maturing, and reconfirmed that South Korea will take a stern stance against any additional North Korean provocations. He said sanctions and pressure are designed to induce North Korea to hold dialogue, but talks for the sake of talks cannot be solutions. 

If North Korea will make provocations without showing sincerity, he said the international community will impose sanctions and pressure. President Moon made it clear that it is too early to reverse the previous government’s steps to shut down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and suspend South Koreans’ tours to Geumgangsan in North Korea. If they are included in context with sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council, he said South Korea cannot reverse those moves unilaterally on its own, and ultimately those issues must be dealt with in the context of North Korean nuclear weapons. 

As to inter-Korean summit talks he proposed during his presidential campaign, Moon did not rule out a possibility of meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but he said dealing with North Korea’s nuclear bombs is a precondition for holding inter-Korean summit talks. “Talks for the sake of talks cannot be the goal,” he said. The President added that he was ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim at any time when conditions are met to guarantee outcomes to some extent.

He emphasized the solidifying of the Korean-U.S. alliance in the course of improving inter-Korean relations and engaging with North Korea through dialogue. President Moon thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for playing a big part in bringing about the latest inter-Korean talks. He said South Korea has demonstrated seamless cooperation in dealing with North Korean policies, particularly responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations. 

President Moon confirmed his government’s push for job reform, including converting non-regular workers into regular full-time jobs, easing the income gap, and curtailing excessive working hours. 

If ruling and opposition parties fail to agree on the revision of the Constitution, he said the government will propose a constitutional amendment bill to be put to a national referendum, which will take place together with the June 13 local polls. 

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myung-gwon shakes hands with North Korean counterpart during high-level inter-Korean talks with at the Panmunjom in the inter-Korean border, north of Seoul, on Jan. 9.