Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

● Outputs and significance of G20 OSAKA Summit:

Emphasized need for peace on Korean Peninsula for complete denuclearization - "Peace is the cornerstone of sustainable development"

Shared content of the North Korea-China summit and the North Korea-Russia summit

Achieved econimic results, such as a trade deal (CEPA) and cooperation in the arms industry with Indonesia

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On june 29, President Moon Jae-in returned from his three-day trip to Japan to attend the G20 Summit in Osaka. The trip was short but led to significant results, particularly by providing a framework for the resumption of talks between North Korea and the U.S. and gaining support from the leaders of the main countries for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. Moon also received positive reviews, as he was able to build a consensus among the main officials from the countries who participated in the summit by explaining a vision for an innovative country aiming at inclusiveness.

President Moon gained support from the leaders of China, Russia and India.

It has been avout seven months since the 2018 G20 summit held in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of last November. On the occasion of the 2019 G20 summit, President Moon had blateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russiain President Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to duscuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to strengthen bilateral coopertation.

At a bilateral summit with President XI, President Moon was told of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's intentions, which were revealed in the North Korea-China summit held shortly before the G20 summit. President Xi relayed Kim's unchanged commitment to denuclearization, sharing the results of his trip to Pyongyang. This can be interpreted as the expression of their trust in each other by exchanging personal letters.

President Moon had an unprecedented summit with Preesident Putin very early in the morning. President Putin shared with President Moon the contents of the Noprth Korea-Russia summit, which came just a few months after the second summit between North Korea and the U.S. in Hanoi. According to Putin, North Korean leader Kim highlighted the need for Washington to pursue corresponding measures in return for Pyongyang's steps toward denuclearization.

President Moon emphasized the need for a peace process on the Korean Peninsula to achieve complete denuclearization through a string of summit meetings and conferences. Here, he gained the support of the leaders who attended the G20 summit. Taking this as the initiative to play a mediator's role, it is expected that the resumption of stalled nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S. will also be accelerated.

After wrapping up his schedule at the G20 summit in Japan, President Moon passed along a request via SNSs, including Facebook; "That would make us feel nervous but be very worhwhile. I hope we will start to trust in and encourage each other, without being discouraged."

"We must continue to confirm and persuade the world that peace on the Korea Peninsula will be advantageous to Asia's development, and contribute to building a global peace. International diplomacy is both a way to achieve peace, and a way to make the achived peace sustainable. It also refers to making a decision on our destiny, and having leadership," he added, stressing the importance of the international community's support for a peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

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President Moon, however, left with a sense of regret for having no bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which was attributed to ongoing diplomatic rifts over the two counties' shared history. The only encounter between the two leaders took place when they attended the official welcome ceremony at the summit venue of "INTEX Osaka" of the International Exhibition Center of Osaka on June 29. The two leaders had an eight-second handshake, both wearing serene expressions on their faces. This is likely to be a diplomatic priority for President Mooon, as the worsening state of South Korea-Japan relations is not helpful when it comes to working on the Korean Peninsula situation.

President Moon formed a consensus by unveiling a 'strategy to become an inclusive nation.'

President Moon highlighted that an inclusive growth to evolve into an inclusive nation will serve as a solution to the current issues we face.

In the third session of the 2019 G20 summit, titled "Inclusive and Sustainable World." President Moon said, "Peace is the cornerstone of sustainable development. I believe a peace-driven economy on the Korean Peninsula will provide a new growth engine not only for Korea but also for Northeast Asia, as well as other areas worldwide."

"To create a human-centered future society together, we must solve inequality and pursue growth that is inclusive and sustainalve. It is difficult to solve issues such as inequality, polatization and an aging population with inly a single nation;s effors/ I believe now is the time for the Group of 20 to shoulder a stringer sense of responsibility and duty for humanity. Sharing policy cases is a good start toward cooperation," he added, unveiling the news that the South Korean government is pushing for a "strategy to become an inclusive nation" for coexistence and mutaual benefit in order to overcome polarization and issues related to the aging population.

President Moon has also achieved economic outputs through bilateral talks, which were held on the sidelines of the G20 summit, including a abilateral summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo which led to a mutual agrrement on the conclusion of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) within this year and continuous coopertion in the arms industry, as well as mutual agreement on Indonesia;s continuous support for Soouth Korean companies to help them bid on infrastructure project, such as light rail transit (LRT). At the South Korea-India summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised President Moon he would take care of the delay South Korean visitors are experiencing in extending the length of their stay in India

By Joo-Hyeong, Lee < jataka@dema.mil.kr >