Leaders from China, Japan, and South Korea on Wednesday adopted a special statement welcoming the results of last month’s inter-Korean summit and committing to support the complete denuclearization of the peninsula, the ROK presidential office announced.
The trilateral summit between the three countries saw President Moon Jae-in, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Premier Li Keqiang meet in Tokyo to discuss the regional and international situation, the Blue House said.
The South Korean presidential office said the three leaders had then adopted a “special statement on the South-North summit.”
In the statement, the three countries “welcome the confirmation of the goal of the complete denuclearization and expect the North-U.S. summit will be successfully held.”
The leaders also expressed their desire to cooperate to ensure “the success of the inter-Korean summit can contribute to peace and stability of Northeast Asia.”
At the Tokyo summit, President Moon said that he had confirmed the intention of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to realize a nuclear-free Korean peninsula through complete denuclearization during their meeting last month.
“I could repeatedly confirm chairman Kim’s determination on the complete denuclearization, through long-time candid dialogue,” Moon was quoted by South Korean Senior Secretary to the President for Public Communication Yoon Young-chan as having told his counterparts.
“The fact the North announced it will open the dismantlement of the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri to the international community transparently clearly shows its willingness for the success of the North-U.S. summit.”
President Moon Jae-in visited Tokyo to discuss last month’s inter-Korean summit with Japanese and Chinese leaders | Photo: Blue House
During a joint news conference following the summit, Prime Minister Abe praised Moon’s role in the success of the inter-Korean summit.
He also hailed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts in resolving North Korean issues, making mention of a surprise second summit between Xi and Kim held in Dalian on Monday.
Abe, however, also called on his counterparts to push for North Korea’s complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearizati
In addition to urging ROK and Chinese officials to ensure “concrete action” from North Korea, the Japanese Prime Minister also asked for cooperation in resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang.
Also speaking at the news conference, the Chinese Premier said Beijing hoped that Tokyo and Pyongyang would soon be able to resume dialogue, and reaffirmed his country’s position that all concerned parties should resolve issues related to the Korean peninsula “in a political manner.”
Abe and Moon also held a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the trilateral summit – the first such meeting since 2015.
Moon asked Tokyo to play a “consistent and constructive role” to ensure an upcoming DPRK-U.S. summit could be held successfully.
The Japanese Prime Minister responded that he hoped that cooperation between Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington would lead to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
Edited by Oliver Hotham
Featured Image: South Korean presidential office
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