By Song Baleun and Kim Minji

President Moon Jae-in on Feb. 11 said the second summit between North Korea and the U.S. scheduled for Feb. 27-28 in Hanoi, Vietnam, will serve as "a historic turning point" in transforming the Korean Peninsula into "a land of peace and prosperity." 

In a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae, the president called the first Pyeongyang-Washington summit held in June last year a "historic achievement marking a clear milestone in world history." 

"The second summit will be a significant turning point that will see more detailed and tangible progress in complete denuclearization, a new relationship between North Korea and the U.S., and peace on the Korean Peninsula," he added.

"(The South Korean government) has always kept its channels open for the two Koreas to communicate, and we will keep fulfilling our role with high hopes."

President Moon also stressed that the forthcoming North Korea-U.S. summit offers a crucial opportunity in the development of inter-Korean relations, saying, "Both Koreas will have to open not only an era of peace without war, but also a new era of a peace economy with peace as the growth engine."

brightsong@korea.kr