South Korea's Move

[Anchor Lead]

While North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are in Hanoi for a summit, President Moon Jae-in visited the cemetery of independence fighters and held a cabinet meeting at the Kim Koo Museum for the first time. These events indicate the South Korean president's resolve to take charge of the affairs concerning the Korean Peninsula following the North Korea-U.S. summit.

[Pkg]

During the time when Kim Jong-un's train arrived at Dongdang Station in Vietnam… President Moon Jae-in went to pay his respects at the gravesites of national heroes who sacrificed their lives for Korea's independence. Then he presided over the first cabinet meeting held at the Kim Koo Museum. Kim Koo was a resistance leader who yearned for a unified Korean government to stand among the superpowers.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "100 years ago we could not decide our own fate in the midst of the superpowers' competition and were relegated to a colony."

It is speculated that sanctions against North Korea may be removed following the second Pyongyang-Washington summit, subsequently speeding up inter-Korean economic cooperation. Therefore, Moon's events reflect his resolve to take charge over the fate of the Korean Peninsula.

[Soundbite] "Korea is no longer on the outskirts of history. We will stand proud and get ready for a new century to come."

According to the top office, President Moon ultimately hopes for free travels and investments and more joint economic projects between the two sides. Cheong Wa Dae added the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. are expected to hold in-depth talks and make great progress. When the summit wraps up Thursday evening, President Moon and his American counterpart are scheduled to share summit results on the phone and discuss whether and when the South Korean leader would visit Washington. President Moon, who played the role of a silent mediator while keeping his eyes on the situation in Hanoi, is expected to step up front and center to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula following the Kim-Trump summit.