Honored guests, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to host this dinner for the participants of the 2018 Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. Let me begin by thanking Governor Won Heeryong, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Amb. Suh Chung-Ha, President of the Jeju Peace Institute, and all others who have worked very hard for months to put together such a rich program.  There are many sessions on diverse issues, with the participation of distinguished speakers and experts from around the world.  

The Forum theme this year is Re-engineering Peace for Asia. I presume the theme was selected well in advance. But it was prescient, for it foresaw the dramatic diplomatic developments that have unfolded on the Korean Peninsula over the past few months. As a result, a new era of peace and a way to a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear and missiles issue have opened. Asia has many challenges to peace and security, but a Korean Peninsula that is nuclear weapons-free and wholly at peace will be a positive force for peace and prosperity in the wider region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Just two months ago, on 27 April, the Panmunjom Declaration was adopted at the end of the 3rd Inter-Korean Summit, proclaiming the start of a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula. It committed the two Koreas to reduce military tension, build a permanent and solid peace regime to replace the seven decades-old state of Armistice, and implement all previous inter-Korean agreements. It elaborated concrete areas for continued dialogue and cooperation, and stated North Korea's commitment to complete denuclearization. 

And just barely two weeks ago, the first-ever US-North Korea Summit was held in Singapore, resulting in a short but historic joint statement, which reaffirmed the Panmunjom Declaration and North Korea’s commitment to complete denuclearization. The Singapore statement also committed the United States and North Korea to work together to overcome decades of hostility and build a new relationship, establish a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and cooperate for the return of POW/MIA remains. Furthermore, President Trump committed to providing security guarantees to North Korea.

In between, there have been numerous meetings between South and North Korea, including another summit meeting, in the follow-up to Panmunjom. Preparations are also ongoing for the US-North Korea talks to follow up on Singapore.

At many levels, these are truly pivotal developments. They have begun to replace the hostilities that have long defined the relationship between South and North Korea, and, remarkably, between the US and North Korea. For the first time, they have placed the three sides on mutually complementary tracks of dialogue and cooperation, so that advances in inter-Korean and US-NK relations can proceed in the same direction and in a coordinated pace. They have also directly and explicitly engaged the political will of the highest authorities of the three sides to peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. With the top leadership on all sides so engaged and invested, the ensuing work of getting North Korea to take action on denuclearization is expected to proceed expeditiously as well. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Compared to where we were at the end of last year, it seems a miracle that so much could take place this year. But as former President Kim Dae-jung noted, no miracle is just miraculous. There are causes, and conviction, effort and leadership.

Just a year ago, when President Moon delivered a video message to this Forum, his pledge to pursue lasting peace and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, and to achieve improvements in inter-Korean and US-North Korea relations, could have seemed fanciful to many, as we were only seeing relentless provocations by Pyongyang. But he stayed the course, further elaborated his policy towards a future of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula in the “Berlin Initiative” in July, and has never wavered from the key tenets of this policy. 

The strategic use of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games was instrumental in drawing North Korea out of its isolation to engage in dialogue to drive home the point that its nuclear ambition will never be accepted by the global community, that it should thus change course, and should it change course, we stand ready to provide the security guarantee that it seeks and work together towards a brighter future of peaceful coexistence.  

That has been, and continues to be our message and approach to North Korea. In the process, we have maintained, and indeed greatly strengthened coordination and collaboration with our ally, the United States.  We have also maintained close consultations with Japan, China and Russia, and key members of the international community. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

The path ahead is clear, and we expect North Korea to deliver on its denuclearization commitment. The Security Council sanctions, which have been activated in response to the North Korean nuclear and missiles provocations, should remain in place and continue to be implemented by all members of the international community until we are assured of North Korea's complete denuclearization.  Meanwhile, we will continue to engage North Korea in good faith negotiations in a broad range of areas and seek cooperation where possible under the sanctions regime.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The hostile division on the Korean Peninsula has been the lingering legacy of the Cold War in Northeast Asia. We have now a historic opportunity to abolish this barrier to genuine peace on the Korean Peninsula, and strengthen the forces for peace in the region and beyond. 

I hope you will agree to this inspiring prospect, and lend your valuable experience, knowledge and wisdom, here at the Jeju Forum.

With your support and insights, my government will stay the course, so that we can indeed turn this into a definitive period towards a nuclear weapons-free, peaceful Korean Peninsula. 

I wish you an enjoyable evening, and more engaging discussions in the next two days. 

Thank you.