https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting/sessions/the-geopolitical-outlook

Moderator: Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum

Participants: (Seated from left to right) Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Chrystia Freeland, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Taro Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Kang Kyung-wha, Minister for Finance of Singapore Heng Swee Keat, Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School Professor David Gergen

The following is a transcript of Minister Kang's responses on Korean Peninsula-related issues at the session.

Mr. Brende: Minister Kang, there are of course a lot of challenges out there but one of the silver linings this year was, of course, happening on the Korean Peninsula. The dialogue between Pyeongyang and of course Seoul, but also the historic meeting between the US President and Chairman Kim Jong Un that took place in Singapore in [June]. We know that the US President is planning to meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un again late February, we don't know where, but looking at the denuclearization, potential peace agreement, between DPRK, North Korea and South Korea, what are your, what can we expect in the year to come, if you're going to look into the crystal ball?

Minister Kang: Well, before I discuss what can we expect this year, let me just give you a vision of what this could lead to in terms of a new momentum for growth. If you look at the Korean Peninsula on the map, it juts out at the eastern end of the largest continent of the world, which is Eurasia, and into the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean. So it looks like a natural bridge that can connect all the potential of sea powers and the continental powers. And that should be the case, but of course we know that that hasn't been the case for seven decades, that disconnect that exists on the Korean Peninsula has been, is something that has been distinctly going against the growing tides of globalization and the growing interconnectedness, and that is of course all because of the last remaining legacy of the Cold War.

In the meanwhile, South, the Republic of Korea, has, despite the different circumstances, has become the, you know, yes we're part of the Peninsula, but we've been more like an island, basically, but we've managed to develop the economy based on, you know, based upon our strength in trade, our strength in exports, in shipbuilding and so on and so forth, while the North Korea has basically remained outside, and it's like a zone frozen in some time warp, and it has been kept that way for seven decades. We want to change that. We want to make sure that the whole of the Korean Peninsula is prosperous and peaceful and does act as that natural bridge between the continent and the Pacific.

The military demarcation line that was put in place in 1953 at the end of the Korean War is still what separates the South and North into basically two hostile entities but also has been the big barrier that has prevented any significant amount of exchanges of goods, services and people across that divide. And as a result, the geographical potential that this Peninsula should have, have never been seriously explored. But I think with the changes that we have, you call it the silver lining, I think we've begun, we've started to make a significant shift in that direction.

We've had, as you say, three inter-Korean summits, one, the first, US-North Korea summit, and that has meant a shift in the political dynamics on the Korean Peninsula from one of, one of hostilities and growing tension to one of dialogue and dialogue towards a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, but also replacing the armistice system that is currently in place to a full-fledged peace treaty.

Now, a very tall order. But I think we've made the first move in that direction, making use of these historic diplomatic engagements of last year. I think with the latest visit by the North Korean envoy to Washington DC, I think [we're] back on track on the denuclearization discussions between the United States and North Korea. And now there is much expectation that the second US-North Korea summit will take place -- the dates have been announced as being roughly late February, the exact dates, the exact time, yet to be announced --

Mr. Brende: You'll probably have to see if the shutdown is over, too.

Minister Kang: Well, I think, yes, but I think the shutdown has to be, has to be taken into account but I think the critical functions of the government still continue, I think the State Department is fully functional, and so on. But yes, it's something we have to keep in consideration. So this year we really need to make some great big strides along this road to denuclearization and lasting peace that we've managed to open up last year. The second US-North Korea summit will have to deliver some concrete results, concrete advances on the denuclearization track.

There is also a promise from the North Korean leader to come to the South. There have been three South Korean presidential visits to the North -- one in 2000, one in 2007, and the last, the third one last year and I was part of that visit, but the North Korean leader has now promised to come to the South for his fourth meeting with President Moon. And I think if we have these summit engagements well-prepared, meaning we have to somehow negotiate a successful outcome of these summits, I think we will indeed turn 2019 into another year of big steps toward denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Obviously we do all of this in very close consultation with our ally, the United States, so on the one hand you have the South-North track moving, and also have the US-North Korea track, and between the two of them, the South Korea-US coordination is vital. Of course we also have close consultations with Japan, China, Russia also, all having, having a shared goal in getting North Korea to completely denuclearize. And of course, that's not just the neighbor, it's the whole of the international community that is demanding that North Korea gives up its nuclear and missiles programs and WMD programs, in fact. So as we move along, stay tuned, and we'll see what happens. Thank you.

Mr. Brende: Thank you, Minister. Just a short follow up, what we see in the world today is many proxy situations that the big movers don't have common interest, or they don't define their interests as aligned. But I guess on DPRK, North Korea, all the nations, as you mentioned, have a common interest in denuclearization.

Minister Kang: Yes, it's a stated goal in successive Security Council resolutions. And I think, so if any issue had united the Security Council, and we know how the Security Council in many ways is not living up to our expectations, but on this one it has managed to maintain that unity. And in the end, I think a peaceful nuclear-free Korean Peninsula would be in the interest of all.

*