| <No.719> |
| South Koreans Hopeful in Wake of Denuclearization Summit |
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From that historic step across the border,
marking the first time
a North Korean leader had ever entered South Korean territory,
to the jovial moment
when Kim Jong Un invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in
to step back over the border into the North,
to the animated conversation
the two leaders had
as they sat alone for 30 minutes,
to the joint declaration
proclaiming that a new era of peace has begun,
the inter-Korean summit has left many in Seoul feeling hopeful
about the future.
"I was very thrilled
while watching it.
It was a time
that gave me hope
that unification may come very soon."
To many viewing the summit
the young North Korean leader also came across
as more reasonable
and open to change,
than the authoritarian figure
who in the past had repeatedly threatened
to launch nuclear strikes
against his enemies.
At the summit,
Kim agreed
to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has unilaterally suspended nuclear and missile tests,
and officials in Seoul said
Pyongyang would invite international experts and journalists
to witness the closing of the country’s nuclear test site in May.
Following the summit,
President Moon’s approval rating increased
to over 70 percent.
Many conservative voters
who did not support the liberal president
now give him credit
for persistently pursuing diplomatic engagement.
The joint denuclearization declaration, however,
is just the beginning of the negotiation process.
Next up, the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim
that is expected to take place
before July.
While the Trump administration has been supportive of the progress
made so far,
it wants to see irreversible reductions
in the North’s nuclear program
before agreeing to reduce economic sanctions.
Brian Padden, VOA News, Seoul |
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