Yeon Woo Lee  (’21)

From September 18 to September 20, South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un met to discuss the future of the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders had previously met twice, in April and in May. This time, however, South Korean President Moon Jae In and First Lady Kim Jung Sook made their way up to Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. The city warmly greeted the two figures.

On the second day of their trip, it was announced that the leaders of both countries signed the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018. The declaration states that both countries would remove landmines, guards, weapons, and personnel in the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). They also agreed to create joint military buffer zones. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un promised to stop all nuclear testing as long as the United States did the same. He stated that he would close all test sites in front of experts from a variety of countries. Previously, the main North Korean nuclear test site had been  blown up before Kim met US President Donald Trump. Later that day, South Korean President Moon Jae In made a speech in front of thousands of North Koreans. He spoke about diffusing their cultures once more and the dream for reunification.

On the last day of the summit, both leaders and their wives traveled to Mount Baekdu, where a special ceremony took place to commemorate the historic visit of South Korean President Moon Jae In.

South Korean President Moon Jae In once said, “I will do whatever it takes to help settle peace on the Korean Peninsula.” His promise is crucial for the future, because it is in the best interest of both countries to end the war and bring peace to the Korean Peninsula after a bitter 70 years.