Lee reaffirms his rapprochement policy toward North Korea, urging Pyongyang to respond

SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Monday again reaffirmed his rapprochement toward North Korea for the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

Lee said South Korea will "steadily push ahead with efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," in a statement read by Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, at an event marking the eighth anniversary of an agreement signed during a historic meeting between the two Koreas at the border town of Panmunjom in April 2018.

"We will proactively take steps to restore inter-Korean trust and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula," the statement said, urging Pyongyang to respond.

Lee added that building lasting peace on the peninsula for shared prosperity was the "core spirit" of the agreement and the future the two Koreas should pursue, stressing that peaceful coexistence has been his top priority since taking office in June last year and that he has taken steps to rebuild trust with the North.

He also stressed that his administration has made clear its stance of recognizing and respecting North Korea's system, ruling out any scenario of forced absorption into the South and refraining from any hostile actions toward Pyongyang.

"Even if winter is long, spring will come in the end," Lee said, expressing his belief that peace would eventually prevail.
  Meanwhile, former President Moon Jae-in urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to take a bolder approach and engage in talks with the U.S.

The remarks were made at an event marking the anniversary at the National Assembly in Seoul later in the day.

Moon, who made the trip to Seoul from his retirement home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, said, "True security cannot be guaranteed by military buildup, which would only deepen isolation and sever ties," adding that dialogue is "the fastest and safest way" to end hostility and bring peace to the peninsula.

He also expressed hope for improved inter-Korean relations that could serve as a bridge for talks between Pyongyang and Washington, as they did eight years ago, and urged Trump to leverage his "unique decisiveness and wisdom" to bring the North back to the negotiating table.

On April 27, 2018, Moon and Kim pledged to improve inter-Korean relations at their historic summit in Panmunjom, the border truce village within the demilitarized zone that has long symbolized the division of the peninsula.