By Kim Young Shin

President Moon Jae-in met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House National Security Advisor John Bolton in Washington on May 22 and asked for their utmost efforts to successfully hold the planned NK-U.S. meeting to be held on June 12.

President Moon praised the U.S. security and foreign relations team involved in preparing for the upcoming NK-U.S. meeting and told them to accelerate their process to ensure the meeting is a success. According to Presidential Senior Secretary for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan, the meeting was held for 50 minutes, which was longer than scheduled.

The president highlighted the fact that despite the North’s recent attitude, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un’s will to successfully hold a NK-U.S. summit is clear. He urged the two U.S. officials to continue their efforts to prepare for the summit in a steady and calm manner.

“The positive turn of the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula is a window to an unprecedented and unmissable opportunity for both Korea and the U.S. to change the route of the history of the region, toward a route of settling the denuclearization issue and creating a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” said President Moon. “The upcoming summit is at a different level from past negotiations, as it's the first in history to declare ‘complete denuclearization’ and to talk with a North Korean leader who hopes for the safety of his regime and economic development.”

“We must discuss together, with lots of patience, as the negotiations to come with the North will be an extremely difficult journey for us,” Moon said. “I ask you to assist President Trump well, to help him overcome such a torturous process and to accomplish the historic achievement of opening a new era of hope for the international society.”

ysk1111@korea.kr