Two years since the Inter-Korean Summit: Quiet, few marks!

Looking back at the past two years, we cannot deny the achievements that have been made, but we also need to acknowledge the reality that the dialogue process to denuclearize the Korean peninsula that the two leaders committed to still has many obstacles. And that, after the two-year milestone, there will still be a lot of work to do!

From the Joint Statement…

Looking back at the end of April 2018, after a historic meeting, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to issue a Joint Statement. The most notable of which was that the two leaders agreed to cooperate to move towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The Joint Statement also pledged that the two sides would continue dialogue to officially declare an end to the war and establish a lasting and sustainable peace treaty.

The two sides also agreed to urgently resolve the humanitarian issues of separated families. In addition, the two sides also pledged to cooperate in reducing military tensions on the inter-Korean peninsula, ending all propaganda activities such as loudspeakers and leaflets, and agreed to establish a joint liaison office in the city adjacent to Kaesong...

The historic handshake between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: Getty

To realize the commitments that have been reached, over the past two years, 36 rounds of talks at all levels between the two sides have been held, including the second and third inter-Korean summits; 7,500 people from both sides have been reunited... The military communication hotline between South Korea and North Korea has been reconnected after many years of being cut off. Over the past two years, military officials from both Koreas have regularly made phone calls twice a day at 9am and 4pm through the two sides' eastern and western communication lines.

Not only that, following the success of the historic Inter-Korean Summit, another historic event, the first US-North Korea Summit, also took place amid the excitement and expectations of the people of the two Koreas. However, since the second US-North Korea Summit failed to reach a Joint Statement, things have not been easy!

Reconnecting roads and railways between the two Koreas was one of the key agreements of the summit two years ago.

Yesterday, April 27, South Korea held a small, quiet ceremony at Jejin Station in the border town of Goseong, in the northernmost part of South Korea on the East Coast. The ceremony was to re-emphasize Seoul's commitment to promoting railway connections and other inter-Korean exchanges that the two sides agreed to at the summit two years ago. Among the key agreements, reconnecting roads and railways between the two Koreas was one of the key agreements. South Korea plans to invest 2.85 trillion won (equivalent to 2.3 billion USD) to build a railway line more than 110 kilometers long from the eastern coastal city of Gangneung to the border town of Jejin.

South Korea has started construction on a 110.9-km railway from the coastal city of Gangneung to the border town of Jejin. Photo: Arirang

It should be recalled that the two sides held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project in the border town of Kaesong in December 2018, but in reality, the project has not yet started due to obstacles related to international sanctions against North Korea.

Although just last week, the South Korean side announced that the Gangneung-Jejin railway line was an important inter-Korean cooperation project and would accelerate construction without a feasibility study, the reality is that as long as North Korea is still stuck with US sanctions, cooperation projects, including this railway project, will not be feasible soon!

…to the uncertain future!

Just before the 2nd anniversary of the Inter-Korean Summit, the South Korean press reported that the US seemed to have detected signs that North Korea was preparing for a missile launch. Or before that, in March, Pyongyang also continuously made many military moves such as massively test-firing short-range missiles. Even at the end of March, this country confirmed that it had successfully tested a "super-large multi-barrel" rocket launcher.

North Korea has repeatedly test-fired short-range missiles in March. Photo: AFP, Getty

Obviously, it is no coincidence that Pyongyang has continuously made such military moves. Observers say that these steps have raised concerns that North Korea may be returning to a hardline policy, determined to pursue its missile and nuclear weapons programs despite opposition from the international community.

The huge difference has prevented the two sides from making any further progress in dialogue.

Also, despite three direct meetings between US President Donald Trump and leader Kim Jong-un, denuclearization negotiations between the two sides have remained deadlocked for more than a year due to unresolved disagreements on the scale of North Korea's denuclearization, as well as concessions from the US. While Pyongyang wants to gradually reduce the scale corresponding to Washington's sanctions relief orders, the US is determined to immediately denuclearize the Korean peninsula. The huge difference has prevented the two sides from making any further progress in dialogue over the past time.

In addition, the “Korean” catalyst has not been effective in recent times as President Moon Jae-in has had to focus on the general election in this country. Although Moon Jae-in’s ruling party has won, the 2022 Korean presidential election race is still ahead. Therefore, although public opinion expects the ruling party’s victory to be a stepping stone, creating motivation for President Moon Jae-in to “reheat” the role of mediator between the US and North Korea, in reality, the opportunities are not many!

The trio with many predestined relationships between the US, South Korea and North Korea. Photo: Korea Times

Meanwhile, on the US side, President Donald Trump has recently demonstrated a strategy of "silence" and "ignorance" towards all moves from North Korea. However, that does not mean that the US will take new steps to break the deadlock in nuclear negotiations. Simply, Mr. Trump just wants to spend time on the presidential race as well as fighting the Covid-19 epidemic in the country. And that, no matter how impatient Pyongyang is, the new "moves" of the US will only be launched after the end of this year!