South Korea may become a significant beneficiary of the brief but albeit historical meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) over the weekend.
Spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry, Lee Sang-min, said on Monday that South Korea (SoKor) is hoping that the short Trump-Kim summit will revive relations between SoKor and North Korea, the Japan Times reported.
Lee further revealed that since everyone is expecting nuclear talks to resume, the South Korean government will "strengthen its effort to create a virtuous cycle between inter-Korean relations, denuclearization, and North Korea-U.S. relations."
Lee's statements came amid high hopes for improved relations between the two Koreas. Economists and diplomatic experts noted that the third Trump-Kim summit could benefit SoKor as relations between the U.S. and N. Korea are expected to improve following the agreement of the two leaders to revive nuclear negotiations.
Ever since the second Trump-Kim summit broke down in February, North Korea has reduced its contact with the South. N. Korea has also asked its southern counterpart to resume economy-centric projects between the two Koreas. However, some of the projects are restricted by White House sanctions.
SoKor has been at risk of losing the support of Washington and its long-awaited potential unification with North Korea ever since the Hanoi summit fallout. With the declaration of N. Korea's state media that the brief Trump-Kim summit was "an amazing event," hopes for SoKor-N. Korea ties have been reawakened.
Trump's visit in Panmunjon has become the center of global news outlets as Trump became the first reigning American leader to set foot in the northern part of Korea. Kim was invited by the U.S. chief to meet at the DMZ but it is unclear if South Korean President Moon Jae-in had something to do with the arrangements.
While some analysts said the "handshake" between Trump and Kim does not change anything in any way, others are more optimistic about the two leaders' get-together with Moon on the sidelines.
CBC News noted that the meeting was supposed to end within minutes but it extended for around an hour. The face-to-face meet-up between two of the world's most powerful leaders will go down in history as one of the potential first steps towards better relations between the U.S. and North Korea.
The outlet further noted that Trump said through a translator that he would invite Kim "right now" to make a state visit to the United States. Kim, on the other hand, said he would be honored to invite his American counterpart to Pyongyang "at the right time."
Meanwhile, China and other Asian countries lauded the meeting that could hopefully make a nuclear breakthrough and mark a milestone in SoKor-N. Korea-U.S. relations.
