President Moon Jae-in is seeking the UN’s support for the Panmunjeom Declaration and its participation in verifying the closure of North Korea’s nuclear facilities, as he tries to lay the groundwork for a US-North Korea summit.

According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon made the requests during a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday.


“(Moon said that) the UN welcoming and supporting the Panmunjeom Declaration through the General Assembly or the Security Council would be a big support for the success of the upcoming US-North Korea summit,” Kim said.

The Panmunjeom Declaration states that the two Koreas will reduce military tension, and will declare an end to the Korean War.

Kim added that Moon conveyed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s promise to transparently show the Punggye-ri nuclear testing facilities’ shutdown to the international community, and asked for the UN’s participation in the verification process.

During Friday’s inter-Korean summit, Kim Jong-un said that the nuclear test site would be closed down, and that international media and experts would be invited to North Korea to witness the process.

“(Guterres) said that although Moon’s requests need the UN Security Council’s approval, he will endeavor to support establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim Eui-kyeom said. 

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)