
By Park Gil-ja and Yoon Sojung
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae Facebook
President Moon Jae-in said on Sept. 26 that, “Ending the Korean War is an urgent task,” at the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
In his keynote speech, he said, “The Korean Peninsula has remained under an armistice over the past 65 years. I look forward to seeing bold measures for denuclearization implemented among related countries, leading to a declaration to the end of war.”
Regarding the latest inter-Korean summit, the president said, “Last week in Pyeongyang, I met Chairman Kim for the third time and reached an agreement once again to turn the Korean Peninsula into a land of peace free from nuclear weapons and threats. Chairman Kim expressed his hopes of completing denuclearization as soon as possible to focus on economic development.”
“We must assure Chairman Kim that he has made the right decision in committing to denuclearization. We must encourage North Korea to stay on the path that leads to a permanent and solid peace.”

In his second speech at the U.N. assembly hall since last year, President Moon called for the international community to play its role in peace on the Korean Peninsula in a calm and earnest manner. He called on the international community to display tolerance so that North Korea could pave the way toward reform and opening through denuclearization.
As a “driver” of peace on the Korean Peninsula and as a “catalyst” for denuclearization negotiations, President Moon made it official to world leaders that the road map toward achieving the goal of declaring an end to war would be made possible through making progress on the peace process in the region.
In particular, he used a large part of his address to underscore the significance of building peace on the Korean Peninsula as an important task for the whole world, not just for the two Koreas and for the U.S.
“The process of working toward denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is a process that also leads to building peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia.”
“As we work to realize the U.N. spirit of multilateralism and pave the way for a future of shared prosperity, I would like to ask for the support and cooperation of the international community,” he said.
The 15-minute speech was followed by applause from delegates from all around the globe. Among them were the North Korean delegates. They took notes during President Moon’s address and clapped with the other delegates, showing quite a different reaction from the North Korean delegation last year.
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