North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a historic

summit on Friday, April 27th, potentially putting aside decades of animosity and paving the way for
a peace deal, one that would have been unimaginable even a few months ago.
The meeting, and the symbolism it carried, was nothing short of remarkable. Both sides talked
about formally ending the Korean War, which has technically lasted for more than half a century. And
they ended their nearly nine hours together with a joint statement, putting all those aspirations down
on paper. But that’s not all. They created remarkable scenes, too, like Kim walking over the border into
South Korea. It was the first time a North Korean leader had entered South Korea since the Korean
War in the early 1950s.
The future seemed so promising, but a more sober look at the matter tells us that it might be a
little too early to celebrate everything that has happened.

The meeting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) witnessed Kim and Moon signed what’s now
known as the “Panmunjom Declaration,” in which both leaders agreed to formally end the Korean War
by year’s end and to work towards the “common goal” of denuclearization. They didn’t, however,
specify how they would achieve them. The agreement was long on ambition and hope, but short on

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details and substance. The three-page document says what both countries want but not what each
would be willing to give to achieve those goals.
It seems the issue has always boiled down to North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Both sides are
far apart on how best to resolve the issue of denuclearization. Kim, like his predecessors, believes
North Korea should keep its nuclear program as a safeguard against invasion by South Korea or even
America, while Seoul and Washington fear anything less than full denuclearization of the Korean
peninsula would put the South and US’ safety, and their allies’, in jeopardy.
On top of that, the Koreas have struck similar agreements, but to no avail. Previous Inter-
Korean love fests also, to a lesser extent, generated professions of affection and cooperation — as
well as hand-holding and even singing, along with promise of aid, investment, and high hopes. They
all ended up for naught. The Kim–Moon summit was feared essentially a repeat.
Friday’s joint declaration, though, still has its own value. Kim Jong Un has now committed to complete
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in writing. “It does create the mandate for negotiations on
denuclearization,” one expert says. Time will tell if it can ultimately be realized, but there’s certainly
room for aspirations.
The relative success of the Kim-Moon summit, however, also puts a lot of pressure on President
Donald Trump, who plans to meet with Kim in late May or early June for negotiations designed to
resolve the long nuclear standoff between Washington and Pyongyang. An equally optimistic and
forward-looking agreement, however, is less likely. Washington will be more demanding of Pyongyang,
and less willing to make concessions. Instead, we might just see the unpleasant truth rear its head.
Yet, all doubt and worries aside, the Kim-Moon meeting was still very, very historic in many ways.

Source: https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/17290344/north-korea-south-korea-kim-jong-un-moon-trump

1. make of (sth): to form an opinion about (sth)

2. put/set (sth) aside: to ignore or forget a feeling or difference of opinion
3. animosity = hostility: a strong feeling of opposition, anger or hatred
4. pave the way for [IDM]: to create a situation for (sth) to happen
5. unimaginable: thought to be impossible to exist; impossible to imagine
6. nothing short of: no less than, (almost) equal to
7. sober: serious and sensible
8. work towards (sth): to try to reach or achieve a goal
9. boil down to (sth): to have (sth) as the basic part

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10. safeguard against (sth): protection from harm, risk or danger
11. strike a deal/agreement: to make an agreement
12. to no avail: with little or no success
13. naught: nothing  come to naught: not be successful
14. mandate for (sth): an official order or commission to do something.
15. realize (sth): to make (sth) happen
16. room for (sth): the opportunity of (sth) existing or happening
17. standoff = deadlock: a situation in which no agreement can be reached
18. (sth) rear its head: (sth unpleasant) arise or become apparent
19. (noun) + aside: apart from (sth), notwithstanding

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