Cheong Wa Dae says no talks held yet on inter-Korean summit

July 28, 2021

 The office of President Moon Jae-in dismissed a news report Wednesday that the two Koreas are in talks to arrange another summit.

Quoting unnamed government sources, Reuters reported that the two sides are seeking to hold summit talks between Moon and the North’s leader Kim Jong-un. One of the sources was quoted as adding that a virtual summit could be an option due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The foreign news report is not true,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a brief statement. “There has been no (relevant) discussion.”

Speaking separately to Yonhap News Agency over the phone, she said there is no difference in Cheong Wa Dae’s position issued the previous day with regard to the issue.

On Tuesday, South and North Korea put their direct communication lines back in operation. Cheong Wa Dae said Moon and Kim have exchanged personal letters several times since April and produced the agreement to reconnect the hotlines that Pyongyang unilaterally cut 13 months earlier.

Regarding the possibility of the leaders holding their fourth summit, Moon’s office said, “There have been no discussions on either face-to-face contact or virtual talks.”