Second Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang

South Korean President, Roh Moo-Hyun, and the head of the North Korean defense committee, Kim Jong Il, plan to meet from August 28-30 in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, for the second-ever inter-Korean Summit. The South Korean government released the timetable for a second inter-Korean Summit in a press conference held at the Office of the President. Taking part in the August 8th conference were three South Korean government representatives: presidential security advisor, Baek Jong-cheon; National Intelligence Service (NIS) head, Kim Man-bok; and Unification Minister, Lee Jae-jeong. For its part, Pyongyang also announced at the same time that it would host yet another South Korean president through the government-run Korean Central news Agency.

The planned inter-Korean summit will be the first of its kind in seven years, since then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung met North Korean’s Kim Jong Il in June 2000, also in Pyongyang.

“The meeting between the two highest leaders of the South and North will expand and develop South-North relations a step higher based on the South-North Joint Declaration of June 15, 2000, and the spirit of the Korean nation,” said the joint agreement of the two Koreas. “Therefore, the summit will open a new phase in the quest for peace on the Korean Peninsula, common prosperity of the Korean nation and unification of the homeland.”

“The two sides have decided to hold a preparatory meeting for the summit talks in Gaesong at the earliest possible date,” the agreement added.

Upholding the will of the highest authority, the South’s Kim Man-bok, the director of the National Intelligence Service, and the North’s Kim Yang Gon, the director of the United Front Department, signed the South-North Agreement to hold a second meeting on August 28-30, in Pyongyang.

In the run up to the agreement, South Korea’s intelligence chief Kim Man-bok, traveled to Pyongyang twice, on August 2-3 and August 4-5, as a special presidential envoy and delivered South Korean President Roh’s signed letter to his Northern counterpart.

“In early July 2007, South Korea proposed high-level contacts between Kim Yang Gon and I (Kim Man-bok) to improve inter-Korean ties and discuss burning issues,” the NIS director Kim Man-bok said. “In response, the North sent an official invitation on July 29, asking me to secretly visit Pyongyang on August 2-3.”

“The second inter-Korean summit will lay the foundation of regular summits between the two sides and contribute to the building of an era of peace and prosperity between the two Koreas,” said South Korean presidential security advisor Baek.

The South Korean government convened this year’s second National Security Council meeting at 7:00 a.m. on August 8, 2007 to report, deliberated and signed the proposal for the second inter-Korean summit, Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea’s presidential office, said in a statement.

The government has launched the committee of promoting the South-North Summit, appointing the Presidential Chief of Staff, Moon Jae-in, as a director of the committee, under which the Unification Minister would head a planning committee and the Deputy Unification Minister would run its management office. The government makes it clear that it will give shape to the agreement by actively keeping touch with the North and in its run up, it will organize advisory committees, including the Presidential National Unification Advisory Council, for the purpose of the reflex of the will of South Koreans.

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