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South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with German Prime Minister Angela Merkel following the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who visited Belgium to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), said on Oct. 19 that “peace on the Korean Peninsula will lead to the co-prosperity of Asia and Europe” and asked ASEM member states to lend their support to peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“During my three meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, I have confirmed his commitment to denuclearization and to peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea and the US have also ended their 70-year hostile relationship and are sitting down together to discuss peace,” Moon said during general remarks in the ASEM summit, which was held in Brussels on Friday.

“South Korea is actively pursuing a New Southern Policy that aims to link ASEAN and India on the ocean and a New Northern Policy that seeks to create a continental connection to Europe. I believe that the link between Asia and Europe will be completed through peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said. While emphasizing that peace on the Korean Peninsula, rather than being irrelevant to the ASEM member states, is linked to their joint development, Moon asked for their interest and support.

“We need to establish an open and predictable trade order and ensure that the foundation of the system of free trade is not undermined. While ASEM leads the discussion about the people-centered Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must not allow other forms of inequality to arise, such as the polarization of jobs or the widening of the digital divide,” Moon said during his speech.

In meetings with the leaders of the UK, Germany and the EU prior to the ASEM summit, Moon spoke of the need to ease the international community’s sanctions on the North as progress is made on the North’s denuclearization and took steps to promote public discussion of this idea.

During Moon’s summit with Prime Minister Theresa May of the UK (who has a say over lifting sanctions on North Korea as the head of government of a permanent member of the UN Security Council), Moon reportedly made his case for the international community easing sanctions on the North when real progress is made toward the North’s denuclearization. Moon expressed his willingness to seriously consider easing sanctions on the North even before its complete denuclearization during an interview with the BBC prior to his tour of Europe.

The South Korea-UK summit took place at Moon’s request. May said she would not waver in supporting peace on the Korean Peninsula. During summits with the leaders of France and Italy, Moon repeated his view that “once North Korea’s steps toward denuclearization are believed to have reached an irreversible state, UN sanctions should be relaxed to promote denuclearization.”

Afterward, Moon also had a summit with German Prime Minister Angela Merkel.

“The Berlin Initiative served as the beginning of the recent positive changes on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said gratefully, referring to a speech in July 2017 during which he asked North Korea to participate in the Pyongyang Winter Olympics and expressed his willingness to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

“During this tour of Europe, Moon has been explaining in detail the changing mood on the Korean Peninsula and asking the states of Europe for their understanding and cooperation,” said a senior official at the Blue House. Moon called for protection of the multilateral trade order, inclusive growth and a joint response to climate change and protection of the environment.

By Seong Yeon-cheol,, staff reporter

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