By Yang Moo-Jin
Professor and vice president for public affairs
University of North Korean Studies

The atmosphere surrounding the Korean Peninsula before the inter-Korean summit of April 27, 2018, was one of deep uncertainty.

Since 2016, North Korea had continued its nuclear development program and in 2017, it conducted 16 nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The Trump administration of the U.S. then threatened strong action against Pyeongyang, which led to an extremely volatile situation on the peninsula.

The situation, however, began to change from July 2017, when President Moon Jae-in gave a speech at the Korber Foundation in Berlin. This led to the participation of North Korean athletes in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and South Korea’s dispatch of a special envoy to the North. These moves were part of Seoul's efforts to usher in a new era of peace and improved inter-Korean relations as the direct party involved in the peninsula's fate. This, in turn, led to the dramatic holding of the April 27 inter-Korean summit last year.

The leaders of both Koreas showed their commitment and determination to break up the peninsula's Cold War structure and end their hostile relationship, thus helping advance inter-Korean relations.

Improvements in inter-Korean relations formed the foundation for normalization of ties and a big leap in many areas of cooperation. The biggest result was the three inter-Korean summits held in 2018. Considering that just two such meetings had been held during 70 years of national division, the three summits held in one year alone meant that the two Koreas had consolidated a relationship based on trust.

In the inter-Korean summit last year that was held in Pyeongyang for the first time, President Moon described his vision for peace on and reunification of the peninsula in front of 150,000 people in the North Korean capital. This could have never happened unless the leaders of both Koreas had trust in each other.

To implement the agreements reached in their three summits, Seoul and Pyeongyang resumed dialogue on many sectors. While 2017 saw no such talks between the two sides, 2018 saw 36 rounds of bilateral negotiations that resulted in 23 agreements. Five rounds of high-profile talks also formed a negotiating structure to review the overall implementation of agreements in various areas and widened negotiations to the military, economy, society and culture. The two Koreas also expanded their cooperation to forests, health care and the medical sector, aviation, the private sector and exchanges between local governments.

These achievements in cross-border relations are expected to help both Koreas better prepare for eventual reunification of the peninsula as one nation. The latest improvements in ties have created a structure through which both Koreas can maintain constant contact around the clock and year-round.

Under the agreements reached in last year's inter-Korean summits, a joint liaison office was set up in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong. In the past, the North used to block contact channels whenever bilateral relations faced a deadlock. Thanks to the new office, however, the two Koreas remain in constant contact and can negotiate whenever they want, attesting to the qualitative advancement of inter-Korean relations.

Thanks to deals reached by President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, inter-Korean relations have improved to a de facto "end-of-war" level. The most crucial result has been in the military sector. In last year's inter-Korean summit in Pyeongyang, both Koreas under the September 19 Military Agreement implemented measures to stop all hostile military acts to prevent conflict and ease military tension. To this end, they are jointly working to disarm the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone, a symbol of national division, removing nearby guard posts to prevent armed conflict. They are also excavating the remains of soldiers killed during the Korean War in areas that saw heavy fighting. Such dialogue and cooperation will ease military tension and promote peace on the peninsula.

Looking back at the history of inter-Korean relations, South and North Korea tended to show "stop-and-go" activity in their ties due to internal or external circumstances. The North's nuclear development should be resolved given the grave threat it poses to global peace and safety. The Moon administration, fully aware that the regime's safety lies at the heart of Pyeongyang's desire to go nuclear, seeks to devise measures allowing the North give up its nuclear program and build a structure to secure a permanent peace.

Seoul has also sought to convince Pyeongyang that the decision to give up its nuclear program will boost inter-Korean relations and further open up the North, which will create a community of peace and prosperity in which both Koreas can prosper.

A prime achievement of the latest inter-Korean summit in September last year in Pyeongyang was the North's reaffirmation of its intent to achieve complete denuclearization. North Korean leader Kim had first expressed this plan in the April 27 summit last year. In Pyeongyang, however, both leaders after in-depth discussions made it clear that the North would take concrete denuclearization measures such as dismantlement of missile engine testing areas and launch pads and nuclear facilities in Yongbyon. This was significant progress considering that Pyeongyang had insisted that denuclearization was not open to negotiation with Seoul.

Thanks to South Korea's mediatory role through the three inter-Korean summits, the historic first summit between the North and the U.S. was held on June 12 last year in Singapore. There, Pyeongyang and Washington reached an important agreement on the North’s complete denuclearization and development of bilateral relations.

Though Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement in their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February this year, no negotiation ends after just one or two rounds. Since the two leaders have widened their understanding of pending issues discussed, they can produce a successful outcome by fine-tuning such matters through further talks.

While visiting Washington from April 11-12, President Moon held an in-depth discussion with Trump on further denuclearization talks and plans for another inter-Korean summit. The American president asked President Moon to inform him what the North had in mind. Thanks to Seoul's mediatory role, the next inter-Korean summit could be held around the first anniversary of the one held on April 27 last year in any form. For the next meeting, Seoul should play a more crucial role so that Pyeongyang will more actively participate in enhancing inter-Korean relations.

Efforts toward denuclearization and improvement of inter-Korean ties are needed to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula. Discussions to that end will help improve Pyeongyang's ties with its neighboring countries and consequently promote the North's peaceful coexistence with the greater world. Thus the hope is that the South Korean government receives ample international support and cooperation to achieve its goal.

Translated by Korea.net staff writer Yoon Sojung