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Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon (right) talks with reporters at a press conference at the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Apr. 24 (Yonhap News)
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Kim repeatedly stated during inter-Korean summit that North Korea had “no need” for nuclear weapons if Panmunjeom Declaration terms are fulfilled
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has indicated his active commitment to allowing denuclearization inspections and verification, a senior South Korean government official and official attendee at the 2018 inter-Korean summit said. Speaking to reporters on May 2, the official said Kim had “clearly and repeatedly stated that North Korea had no need for nuclear weapons if there was a declaration of the Korean War’s end and nonaggression [pact]” during the inter-Korean summit at Panmunjeom on Apr. 27. “In that regard, it does not make sense to proceed toward a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula without inspections and verification. Chairman Kim fully understands that,” the official added. “When he said he would shut down the nuclear testing site with experts and journalists from South Korea, the US, and the rest of the international community in attendance, I think that too was intended to show his active commitment to [allowing] inspections and verification,” the official continued. On the question of whether the North would permit “special inspections” by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or other parties, the official said, “We have fully examined the areas that were not properly implemented in various nuclear agreements [in the past], and we are approaching these negotiations on the understanding that this [noncompliance] must not happen again.” The official also said economic cooperation-related terms from the Panmunjeom Declaration agreed on by South and North Korean leaders on Apr. 27 would become possible once progress is achieved in denuclearization. At the same time, the official also stated plans for a joint investigation and other preparation efforts beforehand, adding that social and cultural exchange efforts could take place in tandem with denuclearization measures. The official further suggested inter-Korean military talks at the general level and other discussions toward ceasing hostile actions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and preventing unintended clashes could be held before the upcoming North Korea-US summit. The official, who also attended the summit’s welcoming dinner on Apr. 27, said Kim and other North Korean officials appeared very interested in “follow-up measures” aimed at implementing the Panmunjeom Declaration’s terms “with a sense of urgency.” Kim made remarks effectively calling on the South Korean government to work toward the swift implementation of the declaration, while Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) chairman Ri Son-gwon and others held concrete discussions with South Korean representatives during the dinner on matters related to the inter-Korean summit and schedule for follow-up measures, the official said. In remarks the same day, Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon addressed the timeline for signing a peace agreement and achieving denuclearization. “I think it would be correct to understand the signing of a peace agreement as being at nearly the final stage of denuclearization,” he said, hinting that the ultimate goal of signing a peace agreement could be accomplished once substantial progress has been made with North Korea’s denuclearization measures. By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
