President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un are shaking hands at the Military Demarcation Line in Panmunjom on April 27, 2018. (Photo by Cheong Wa Dae)
[Asia Economy Reporters Son Sun-hee and Kim Dong-pyo] President Moon Jae-in will express his reflections on the 2nd anniversary of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration at the Blue House on the 27th. This message related to North Korea draws attention amid various rumors about the whereabouts of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, who has been out of public sight for over two weeks.
On the same day in the afternoon, President Moon is expected to hold a senior secretaries and aides meeting and evaluate the achievements since the Panmunjom Declaration in his opening remarks, as well as mention the future direction of inter-Korean relations.
Additionally, while addressing the COVID-19 quarantine situation, he may reiterate the call for 'joint cooperation in the health sector' toward North Korea. In his previous 'March 1st Independence Movement 101st Anniversary Commemorative Speech,' President Moon proposed "hoping for joint cooperation with North Korea in the health sector," but it is known that North Korea has not yet provided a concrete response.
Since the so-called 'Hanoi No Deal' in February last year, North Korea-US relations have been at a standstill. Although 'letter diplomacy' between the leaders is ongoing, visible progress is unlikely in the near future. Therefore, the government plans to seek new momentum through inter-Korean cooperation this year. Projects such as individual tourism to North Korea and inter-Korean railway connection, which can be pursued independently without violating sanctions against North Korea, are being considered. However, these projects can only gain momentum if North Korea responds positively.
Meanwhile, President Moon will not attend the 'East Sea Northern Line (Gangneung?Goseong Jejin) Promotion Ceremony' held in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, hosted by the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the morning of the same day. Last year, he also did not attend the April 27 1st anniversary peace performance held in Panmunjom and instead delivered a video message.
The East Sea Northern Line will be constructed as a single-track electrified railway with a total length of 110.9 km. The total project cost is 2.853 trillion won, and construction is expected to begin within 2 to 3 years. When connected with the East Sea Central and Southern Line (Busan?Samcheok), scheduled to open in 2022, it will enable the establishment of an integrated railway network in the East Sea region and Gangwon Province. In the future, if the inter-Korean railway connection is realized and further linked with the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR), it is expected that human and material movement from Busan to London will become possible.
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