President Moon Jae-in spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump for 35 minutes from 10:00 this evening. Their discussion focused on how to work together for the success of the upcoming second North Korea-United States summit.
President Moon began by expressing his high regard for President Trump’s ongoing novel, bold diplomatic endeavors for the sake of peace on the Korean Peninsula. He went on to say that he expected the summit slated for next week in Hanoi to become a critical turning point that adds substance to agreements reached at the historic Singapore summit last June, which aimed to complete denuclearization, establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and advance North Korea-U.S. relations.
In addition, President Moon offered the idea of South Korea’s role being utilized in corresponding measures aimed at encouraging North Korea to take denuclearization steps. He also said that Seoul is determined to take on any role should President Trump make a request, anything ranging from the connection of railroads and roads between the South and North to inter-Korean economic cooperation projects. He added that this would be a way to lessen burdens on the United States.
President Moon said, "In particular, I believe difficult negotiations with North Korea have made headway up to this point thanks to your leadership and unwavering resolve. Significant progress in inter-Korean relations is also attributable to your strong endorsement. Over the past 25 years, numerous negotiations have failed to produce results, which only allowed the North to strengthen its nuclear and missile capabilities. You are now striving to overcome these unsuccessful diplomatic endeavors and seek a new diplomatic strategy for denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. In this regard, I'd like to express my respect for you."
President Trump briefed President Moon on the current state of preparations for the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit and the developments in negotiations with North Korea. The two leaders had extensive, in-depth discussions on concrete measures for cooperation to ensure the success of the upcoming second North Korea-U.S. summit.
Expressing high expectations for the Hanoi summit, President Trump said that he would inform President Moon of the outcome and continue close consultation with him over the follow-up measures.
President Trump made a point of saying that as soon as the summit concludes, he will call President Moon and discuss the results. President Trump went on to say that he is anticipating a great achievement at the Hanoi summit and looking forward to meeting with President Moon in person to share the results.
Speaking of ROK-U.S. relations, President Trump said that President Moon and he have been doing very well together and that bilateral relations are better than ever.