Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young [Yonhap]
Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young [Yonhap]

South Korea's Ministry of Unification on Thursday urged North Korea to join what it called US President Donald Trump's "bold decision," expressing hope that it would lead to the resumption of North Korea-US summit talks within the year and the establishment of a stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

The ministry issued the statement in response to a declaration by Kim Yo-jong, director of the Korean Workers' Party General Affairs Department, released Wednesday. It said that what must come first in pursuing the "fundamental approach to guaranteeing genuine peace and stability" the North had called for is ending the war on the Korean Peninsula and building a peace regime in which neither side needs to fight.

The ministry went on to say that "seeking a fundamental solution to resolve hostility and confrontation will be the fastest path forward."

The ministry said Trump's decision to scale back the combined US-South Korea CPX represents "a determination to begin dialogue aimed at building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula." It pledged that the South Korean government would make every effort, as a pacemaker and a direct party to Korean Peninsula peace, to ensure that the peace opportunity Trump had created as a peacemaker translates into tangible results.

In her statement on major international issues carried by KCNA on Wednesday night, Kim said she was unaware of any direct communication between the two leaders at the summit level, but added that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "has already made clear on multiple occasions that he holds personally fond memories and feelings toward Trump, and that the relationship between the two leaders remains excellent" — a remark analysts interpreted as leaving open the possibility of a conditional acceptance of dialogue.


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