Seo Hoon: "Difficult to Predict Moon Jae-in's Late-Term Inter-Korean Summit"

Seo Hoon, Director of the National Security Office (right), and others are attending the National Assembly Steering Committee's audit on the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office, and Presidential Security Service held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th, reviewing related materials.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Seo Hoon, Director of the National Security Office, stated on the 26th that the possibility of a 'North-South Summit' near the end of the Moon Jae-in administration is "difficult to predict due to many uncertainties."

During the National Assembly Steering Committee's audit on the same day, Seo responded to a question from Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the People Power Party, about whether a North-South summit would be pursued, saying, "Isn't the communication line just barely restored now?"

Regarding whether a North-South summit was pursued during this year's Tokyo Olympics, he said, "The situation was not appropriate, and it was not pursued."

There was also a question about whether a request would be made for Pope Francis, who is scheduled to meet President Moon during his European tour, to visit North Korea. Seo explained, "The Pope's visit to North Korea was not something we pursued; the Pope has expressed his willingness several times," adding, "If the Pope speaks on this matter, President Moon will listen."

Concerning concerns about the possibility of a North-South summit as an election event just before next year's presidential election, he emphasized, "We will not pursue a summit as a political event," and added, "The public will not tolerate that either."