Presidential chief of staff stresses importance of Panmunjom, 3-way liaison, focus on key issues in inter-Koreansummit

Seoul’s intelligence chief or national security adviser could visit Pyongyang if necessary

2018 Inter-Korean Summit Preparation Committee
April 17, 2018

South Korea’s presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok, who is concurrently chairman of the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Preparation Committee, onApril 17, said the upcoming talks are significant in three major aspects: its venue of Panmunjom, the potential that it will lead to a three-way summitwith the North and the U.S., and the inter-Korean meeting’s focus on keyissues.

In a media briefing given at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, he said, “A summit at Panmunjom means that a North Korean leader will be visiting South Korea for the first time,” adding, “Aside from regularizing inter-Korean visits, the normal holding of summits at Panmunjom is crucial if this summit goes well.”

“The upcoming inter-Korean summit holds great significance inthat it can lead to a three-way summit with the North and the U.S., depending on circumstances,” he said. “If one part of the effort went into inter-Korean talks during the preparation process, more than three parts went into communication and collaboration with the U.S.”

Presidential Chief of Staff Im announced that the summitwill focus on key issues, adding “Groundbreaking improvement ininter-Korean relations, achieved through complete denuclearization and establishment of a permanent peace, could be a consciousmeasure for the North to reconcile with the U.S. and the surrounding regions of the Korean peninsula, and this is of great importance.”

On the summit’s preparation, he said “A second round of working-leveltalks tomorrow will cover the summit’s protocol, security and media coverage, and quite a few issues are expected to be discussed,” adding, “Both sides are aware of the discussion topics and must make progress in them.”

The communication-level talks between both Koreas have more or less taken shape through the past two sessions, hesaid.

“The second high-level conference suggested by (the South) inpreparation for the summit should be scheduled according to theresults of tomorrow’s talks,” Im said. “There’s a chance that National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon or National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong will visit Pyongyang as a preparatory measure if necessary.”

Im said he was “deliberating on the content for what could be called the April 27or Panmunjom declaration, adding that “the basic framework is set and has been revised by the president three times.”

On the finalization of the declaration, the official said, “Discussions will be held at the high-level conference, but the final mediation andagreement will be between the two leaders,” adding that he is “mulling the extent to which (the declaration) should cover.”

“The media is paying close attention to the possibility that Ri Sol-ju, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will accompany her husband to the summit. This cannot be confirmed at this point but we could look forward to this,” Im said. “Genuine discussions haven’t been made as to if she joins before or during the summit should she attend.” 




Presidential chief of staff: Inter-Korean summit prep seeing smooth sailing