After meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday... President Moon Jae-in has emphasized the importance of being able to meet more easily and casually with Mr. Kim from now on.... and has ordered his aides to come up with the necessary measures to make his goal a reality.
Our blue house correspondent Moon Connyoung has this report.
May 26, 2018
"One of the greatest scenes from the first summit was your crossover to the North for 10 seconds.
I feel bad that I don't get to welcome and treat you properly; the way I would have wanted to.
"Chairman Kim's popularity has soared in South Korea.
I think the fact that the leaders of South and North Korea could so easily meet up at Panmunjom like this opens up a new era for inter-Korean relations.
Once unimaginable... in fact, up until this past weekend, that is... this kind of a casual meeting is what the rest of us may witness more often in the future between leaders of two sides separated by the most heavily fortified border in the world.
Or it's at least what South Korean President Moon Jae-in hopes for.
Speaking to his top aides two days after his unannounced face-to-face with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the northern side of the Demilitarized Zone - the border area that separates the two Koreas - President Moon ordered necessary arrangements be made for future meetings of such... as he plans to make these "a normal routine between friends."
"The latest inter-Korean summit was extra meaningful in that the leaders easily got in contact, easily made an appointment and easily met to discuss urgent matters without complicated procedures and formalities, just like a casual meeting."
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The South Korean president asked his aides to come up with measures... keeping in mind that similar instances could happen in the future... to ensure there are no gap in the line of military
command, keeping national security council members on stand by, making sure there are balanced
on-spot media coverage as well as notifying related countries before and after such meetings.
"Holding regular formal summits, such as the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit at Panmunjom this past April or the one scheduled in Pyongyang this fall, are extremely important for the development of inter-Korean relations."
"The South Korean president who's long held such vision believes what would really expedite the advancement of cross border relations between the two Koreas are these impromptu meetings between the two leaders on either side of the border... on needs basis.
Moon Connyoung, Arirang News, the Blue House.