[imText1]President Roh announced that the issue of peace regime is the most crucial issue that will be discussed during the upcoming Inter-Korea Summit Talk.
During the press conference that was held on the 11th at ChoonChoo Room of the Blue House, President Roh answered that, “There could be declarations or negotiation,” upon the question of whether he will request Kim Jong Il to follow up on the idea of peace regime and the declaration of ending the Korea War.
He also added that, “Isn’t negotiation itself a negotiation that would lead from the end of war to peace regime?”
President Roh stated clearly that he will be taking the peace regime issue very seriously as the prospect of North Korea’s denuclearization appear to be positively moving along.
He emphasized that, “Due to such emphasis on the North Korean nuclear issue, the public has put North Korean nuclear as the utmost first priority and I acknowledge that it holds significance to be held as our No. 1 national priority. Objectively speaking, that issue is already going along very smoothly hence the next step is becoming more important.”
He also added that, “It is crystal-clear that the settlement of North Korean nuclear issue has been go-ahead, and that next step would be the Peace Structure.”
He explained that, “The peace is the most important issue of all, and if economic cooperation could be more substantially increased and accelerated, that would be the key point of the Summit.”
There has been criticism that he may be taking the North Korea’s nuclear weapons a bit too light-heartedly regardless of the objective gravity of the issue, because it is ambiguous that North Korea would go through the complete procedure for full disablement of the nuclear.
President Roh stated that, “We have met up with the President Hu Jintao of China during the APEC and we have also met up with President Bush of the U.S. If we are to meet Kim Jong Il next month, we are meeting all the significant people that can significant impact in securing the peace regime in the Korean Peninsula in a very short duration of time frame.”
Regarding the statement that denuclearization of North Korea must be the focus of this Summit, President Roh answered that, “It is believed that North Korea nuclear weapons are used as a political move.”
He also added that, “In the current situation where the problem of nuclear weapons is being smoothly resolved from the Six Party Talk, it would only make things worse to mention the issue of nuclear weapons during the Summit.” He reciprocated by asking, “How do you think the ambiance of the Summit will be if we were to emphasize on the issue that is already on its last phases.”
He also said that, “It must be brought up and said, but utilizing that issue and constantly berating North Korea for one issue will do nothing for the peace regime on the security of Peninsula or the development of South-North relationship. I hope you can come together on the issue that peace regime will be the foremost priority.”
