President Moon received a lavish welcome in Pyongyang:
President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un react to citizens lining the roads to Pyongyang, Tuesday, on their way to the Baekhwawon State Guest House from Sunan International Airport. Yonhap
President Moon Jae-in began talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to seek momentum in denuclearization, following his arrival in Pyongyang for a three day summit, Tuesday.
Their first talks of the third summit took place at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of North Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang for 90 minutes starting at 3:30 p.m.
Seoul’s spy chief Suh Hoon and National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong attended, while the North was represented by Kim Yong-chol, a senior ruling party official and the first lady Kim Yo-jong, according to presidential secretary Yoon Young-chan in a media briefing at a main press center set up in Dongdaemun, Seoul.
This is the first time a South Korean president has been to the WPK headquarters, where Kim’s office is located. President Moon is also the first head of state to hold a summit with Kim in Pyongyang since the latter took power.
“From that perspective, we believe this is great hospitality that has never been seen before, as Kim flew to China and Singapore for summits with other leaders,” Yoon said.
“The leaders of the two Koreas undertook a comprehensive review of key pending issues that need to be addressed properly. The two also searched for specific ways to advance various inter-Korean projects. However, South Korea is committed to abiding by all U.N. Security Council sanctions, and the talks for greater economic cooperation with the North were done in accordance with these,” Yoon said. [Korea Times]
So how is getting Kim Jong-un to denuclearize going? About as we all expected:
While getting a specific timeline and details for North Korea’s denuclearization is at the top of President Moon’s agenda for the summit, Yoon said it was highly unlikely the two would agree on a detailed timeframe towards a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
“We can figure it out, but we have to wait,” he said.
When it comes to denuclearization it is always we have to wait, but when it comes to giving the Kim regime concessions they always have to happen now. Here is what else President Moon had to say:
Before his departure for Pyongyang, President Moon said he was seeking “permanent peace,” which is irreversible and can be sustained regardless of external factors.
The Moon administration has agreed to conduct their third inter-Korean summit this year, but this one will be held in Pyongyang:
This photo taken by the joint press corps shows South Korea’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (L) shaking hands with his North Korean counterpart Ri Son-gwon before launching high-level talks on Aug. 13, 2018, on the northern side of Panmunjom to discuss inter-Korean relations and preparations for a summit meeting between their leaders. (Yonhap)
South and North Korea agreed Monday to hold a summit meeting between their leaders in Pyongyang in September.
The agreement was made during high-level talks on the northern side of Panmunjom that separates the two Koreas. They, however, did not unveil the date of the meeting.
“We agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit within September in Pyongyang” the two Koreas said in a joint press statement issued after the meeting.
North Korea’s chief delegate, Ri Son-gwon, hinted after the meeting that the two sides agreed on a date but decided not to announce it, only to emphasize that the summit will take place “within September.” [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but the number topic I would guess they are going to talk about is how to get around the UN sanctions since the Kim regime is not going to denuclearize and the Trump administration is refusing to drop sanctions until they do. If such talks are being conducted, hold the summit in Pyongyang makes sense because there is less possibility of intelligence gathering there to determine what their joint strategy is going to be.
This photo taken from North Korea’s Central TV Station on Jan. 4, 2018, shows Pyongyangites holding a mass rally at Kim Il-sung Square to express their resolution to carry out the important tasks advanced by respected leader Kim Jong-un in his New Year’s Day address. (Yonhap)
I find it hard to believe that this many people were evacuated from Pyongyang without the embassy personnel and few western journalists in North Korea noticing:
A Russian news outlet says the North Korean regime has decided to evacuate a large number of citizens out of capital Pyongyang due to fears of a war with the U.S.
According to the Pravda Report on Wednesday, some 600-thousand people, which is a quarter of Pyongyang’s total population, are subject to immediately leave the capital city. The order was given by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The report said this is because there are not enough bomb shelters in Pyongyang to accommodate the whole population. It noted the 600-thousand people are mostly individuals with criminal records and they will have to leave Pyongyang to let others use the bomb shelters.
The report cited experts as viewing the evacuation as most likely stemming from extremely strained tensions in relations with the United States. [KBS World Radio]
Marathoners run on a street in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on April 9, 2017, held to mark the April 15 birth anniversary of the country’s late founder Kim Il-sung, in this photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
This photo, taken on Jan. 18, 2017, and released by the Choson Sinbo newspaper on Jan. 31, 2017, shows the snow-capped Chollima Statue in Pyongyang, which depicts a soaring pegasus with a pair of citizens riding the majestic beast. The name of the statue means “thousand-mile horse.” (Yonhap)
