The ruling Democratic Party and the government agreed Wednesday to push for the ratification of a 2018 inter-Korean summit agreement in hopes of reviving the stalled peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and to strengthen coordination with the US on the implementation of its North Korea policy.

During the policy consultation session between the Democratic Party and the government, ministers and lawmakers discussed follow-up measures to last month’s South Korea-US summit. They also talked about the direction of South Korea’s policy toward North Korea.

Unification Minister Lee In-young stressed that his office was preparing for the parliamentary ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration and requested continued support for the restoration of inter-Korean ties.

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed the landmark agreement after their summit in April 2018 at the inter-Korean truce border village of Panmunjom. In it the two sides vowed to cooperate to defuse tensions and to work toward peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Since 2018 Moon has called for its ratification in the National Assembly, which would make the agreement binding in the South regardless of future changes of government.

“With US President Joe Biden having expressed support for the inter-Korean talks, we would like to restart the stopped inter-Korean clock and secure our role and space for cooperation between the two Koreas,” Lee said at the meeting. 

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong echoed that stance and said Biden had expressed support for talks, engagement and cooperation between the two Koreas. He stressed that the main result of the summit between Moon and Biden was greater momentum for progress on the Korean Peninsula peace process.

“The government will strengthen cooperation with the US at all levels for the implementation of the Biden administration’s North Korea policy,” said Chung. “We will stably manage the Korean Peninsula situation and create conditions for substantial progress on inter-Korean relations.”

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)