RoK scholars optimistic about 2nd US-DPRK summit
(VOVWORLD) - Several Republic of Korean scholars have voiced their optimism about the 2nd US-DPRK summit in Hanoi next week.
Professor, Doctor Lee Woong-hyeon, President of the Korean Geopolitical Research Institute, said the two sides may reach agreement in certain issues: the DPRK may launch a non-nuclear timetable and the US may remove part of its economic sanctions against Pyongyang. He forecast that they might issue a political statement ending the Korean War (1950-1953), but it’s not a legal statement.
At the 1st US-DPRK summit last June in Singapore, Pyongyang agreed on complete denuclearization in exchange for US security guarantees. They agreed to establish new relationships and build stable and long-term peace in the Korean Peninsula. Dr. Tae Ik-chung, former Secretary of the President for National Security, said he hopes the US and DPRK will reach a specific agreement at their 2nd summit in Hanoi. He added the meeting is expected to pave the way for easing sanctions against Pyongyang, develop inter-Korean relations, and maintain peace in the Korean Peninsula and the wider world.