Moon Jae-in Welcomes Trump's Will for U.S.-North Korea Dialogue: "Fortunate... Kim Jong Un Should Return to Talks Without Delay"

"Do Not Forget the Setback of the 'No-Deal' Hanoi Summit"

Former President Moon Jae-in stated on the 18th regarding North Korea issues, "We must not forget the frustration of the 'no deal' at the Hanoi summit, where by placing the center of gravity on North Korea-U.S. dialogue, South-North dialogue was postponed and halted."

At the ceremony commemorating the 8th anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration and Inter-Korean Military Agreement held at the National Assembly on this day, former President Moon said, "President Donald Trump made it clear that he wanted to engage in dialogue with North Korea by reducing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises," adding, "I believe it was very fortunate that President Trump showed such active willingness to create an opportunity for dialogue."

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Jae-Man Bae = Former President Moon Jae-in delivers the keynote speech at the ceremony commemorating the 8th anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration and Inter-Korean Military Agreement held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 18th. 2026.9.18 scoop@yna.co.kr (End)

He emphasized, "Now, amidst the grim circumstances surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the only key that can untangle the complicated threads is dialogue," and urged, "I call on Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea to respond and come to the table for talks as soon as possible."

He continued, "If North Korea and the United States sit down together once again, drawing on the lessons from the failure in Hanoi, they will certainly be able to achieve better results and outcomes." He expressed his hope by saying, "I earnestly wish to see North Korea-U.S. dialogue resume as soon as possible, so that the clock of peace on the Korean Peninsula, which has come to a halt, may begin ticking vigorously again."

He also made an appeal to North Korea to actively participate in South-North dialogue. Former President Moon said, "North Korea must also take an active role in inter-Korean dialogue." He stressed, "North Korea-U.S. dialogue and South-North dialogue are not substitutes for one another; rather, they drive each other forward, creating a virtuous cycle of momentum."

He added, "Even if the North Korea-U.S. dialogue had temporarily failed, if South-North dialogue had continued, the situation on the Korean Peninsula would be quite different today." He continued, "While North Korea-U.S. dialogue greatly reduces unrest and tension on the Korean Peninsula, inter-Korean dialogue allows the Korean people, as the masters of this land, to jointly build a house of peace and prosperity."

Former President Moon stated, "The most urgent task before us now is the restoration of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement," and emphasized, "We must reconnect the severed military communication lines and revive the mechanisms for preventing accidental clashes, in order to establish an even stronger crisis management system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.