(Please check against delivery)
Opening Address
at the ROK-US Strategic Forum 2018

by
H.E. Sungnam Lim
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Korea
18 June 2018

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen and thank you Dr. John Hamre and Ambassador Lee Sihyung for that warm welcome and generous introduction. I am honored to address the ROK-US Strategic Forum which is one of the most distinguished Track 1.5 fora between our two allies. Considering the unprecedented developments which have been unfolding on and around the Korean Peninsula, CSIS and the Korea Foundation could not have chosen a better time to convene this important gathering.

(What has happened lately?)

This morning, I would like to begin by providing you with a quick snapshot of what has happened lately. To make a long story short, a sea change which we are witnessing all began with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics last February. The Winter Olympics provided Seoul with a golden opportunity to vigorously pursue what has been our long-stated goal of bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. President Moon seized this opportunity to engage North Korea in a serious and open-minded dialogue. Through a series of inter-Korean talks including the exchange of envoys, Chairman Kim Jong Un expressed his willingness to have candid dialogue with the US regarding denuclearization and also vowed neither to conduct nuclear tests nor launch ballistic missiles while dialogue is under way.

Following these initial efforts, the two Korean leaders held their first summit meeting on April 27th and adopted the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. After a roller coaster ride which we all know about, the US and the DPRK also held their first-ever summit last week on June 12th in Singapore and signed the Joint Statement.

The Panmunjom Declaration stipulates that the two Koreas “confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.” The Declaration also states that the two Koreas will work towards “improving and cultivating inter-Korean relations,” “alleviate the acute military tension and practically eliminate the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula,” and “actively cooperate to establish a permanent and solid peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.” The Singapore Statement, meanwhile, stipulates that President Trump and Chairman Kim agreed to work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” “establish new US-DPRK relations,” “build a lasting and stable peace regime” and “recover POW/MIA remains.”

All in all, these two documents will serve as important and meaningful compasses as we navigate the uncharted waters in the coming months and years.

(What is different this time?)

Some pundits might argue, however, that these agreements could be of more use with more specifics. While I take that view seriously, I would like to point out what is different this time.

First and foremost, both the Panmunjom Declaration and the Singapore Statement were signed by the top leaders of the two Koreas, and the US and the DPRK respectively. In other words, political commitments contained within these documents could not be stronger. Unlike the Six Party Talks, where working-level officials agreed upon the final outcome, it was the Presidents of the Republic of Korea and the United States, and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the DPRK who signed these documents. In a nutshell, the unprecedented top-down approach culminating in the adoption of these two important documents should be duly noted.

Secondly, the actors for this top-level diplomacy are completely different leaders as compared to the past. Moreover, the personal chemistry among them has been unique as well. President Moon has been making sincere efforts to turn his long-held vision of a nuclear-free Korea into reality with persistence while being cautious and prudent in each and every step. President Trump has made an unprecedented strategic decision to meet face-to-face with the leader of the DPRK. Meanwhile, Chairman Kim has also made the bold decision to get his country out of its self-imposed isolation.

In addition, President Trump and President Moon were mindful to take into consideration the cultural context when preparing for and conducting their summit meetings with Chairman Kim. President Moon's sincere gesture, for instance, was reciprocated by Chairman Kim. Likewise, President Trump also showed Chairman Kim due respect and treated him as a leader of a state. Such friendly gestures created an environment whereby the leaders were able to engage in sincere and candid dialogue on what is an extremely difficult subject.

In short, without these leaders and their good chemistry, neither the Panmunjom Declaration nor the Singapore Statement would have been possible.

Thirdly, the meeting led to the establishment of top-level communication channels between the two Koreas as well as the US and the DPRK. The second inter-Korean summit held on May 26th between President Moon and Chairman Kim, which helped revive the once-cancelled US-DPRK summit, is a case in point. President Trump also made public that he gave Chairman Kim his "direct number" so that he and Chairman Kim can call each other directly. Such direct engagement by the leaders will surely keep future negotiations on track and help trust-building among the leaders. Regular and frequent visits will also allow this new relationship to grow. In this regard, President Moon will make a visit to Pyongyang this fall while Chairman Kim and President Trump have invited each other to their respective capitals.

(What has been achieved so far?)

The next question which we might want to ponder about is what has been achieved so far.

First, these summit meetings have significantly lowered the likelihood of a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula as well as the security threat posed by the DPRK to the international community. Just last year, we were talking about the sheer number of ballistic missile launches the DPRK conducted and whether they were going to conduct yet another nuclear test. However, we are now discussing how to proceed with dialogue. This, in my view, is certainly a welcome and positive change.

Secondly, we now have a clear and common destination. Our goal is complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a permanent peace regime on the Peninsula. In the meantime, the inter-Korean relationship will be revitalized together with various confidence-building measures while a new future will open up in the US-DPRK relationship with decades of tensions and hostilities overcome.

Thirdly, Chairman Kim has unequivocally and repeatedly stated his commitment to complete denuclearization. And this is contained – in writing – within the Panmunjom Declaration as well as the Singapore Statement.

At the same time, the DPRK has taken unilateral moves such as voluntarily shutting down its nuclear test sites, releasing three Americans, and vowing to dismantle its major missile engine test site. Such actions clearly underscore its sincerity.

Furthermore, the DPRK has officially publicized that its policy focus is now economic development. In the past, the DPRK’s strategy was the so-called “byungjin noseon” or “dual track policy” which was a simultaneous pursuit of both nuclear and missile capabilities, and economic prosperity. This change of policy focus clearly reflects a shift in strategic calculus on the part of the DPRK.

(What is to be done?)

Despite all these progresses and noteworthy developments, I am aware of the critical voices against the Singapore Statement. Those who criticize may ask : “Where is the beef?” My answer would be that the Singapore Statement is the bone on which flesh should be added. Or, consider the Singapore Statement as the structural foundation of a house – it is our job to turn it into a complete house. So, how do we add more meat? How do we build this house? More than anything else, as agreed by President Trump and Chairman Kim, we need to fully and expeditiously implement the Singapore Statement. Actions always speak louder than words. For this very reason, we all look forward to the beginning of follow-up negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang as soon as possible.

Secondly, both Seoul and Washington should walk in lockstep while implementing the Panmunjom Declaration and the Singapore Statement. Inter-Korean talks and US-DPRK negotiations will, more or less, constitute the two wheels of a bicycle. In fact, the Singapore Statement, reaffirming the Panmunjom Declaration, specifies the DPRK’s commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which shows that the US-DPRK negotiations go in tandem with the inter-Korean talks, creating synergy for each other. Likewise, while implementing the Panmunjom Declaration and the Singapore Statement, we will work closely with the international community including our regional partners such as China, Japan and Russia.

Thirdly, thinking out of the box, being bold, creating and seizing opportunities have brought us this far. Now, it is time for us to focus our energy on realizing tangible results. We need specific action plans. For this, we will be persistent but we should never fear being creative. Though being creative doesn’t mean being naïve, we should never shy away from exploring new ideas. We will, however, be prudent at all times and remain committed to full implementation of the sanctions regime until substantial progress is visible in denuclearization.

(Conclusion)

There might still be skeptics who regard the process initiated by President Trump through the prism of past mistakes. If I may borrow a jargon in international relations theory quoting Kenneth Waltz, we should not fall prey to the trap of “inductivist illusion.” Chairman Kim also emphasized that he will not let his country be “held back” by being tied to the past.

Devils, of course, might be in the details. But, with the common destination clearly set among the leaders of the two Koreas and the US, I strongly hope and believe that we will be able to overcome any challenges and difficulties ahead by pulling together our collective wisdom and courage.

In conclusion, both as a career diplomat and as a student of international relations, I would like to remind each and everyone in this hall that a new history can be made only by visionary optimists who do not spare endeavors for turning a dream into reality. As President Moon Jae-in emphasized in his statement following the US-DPRK summit, we will never go back to the past again and never give up our bold journey.

Thank you. //End//