Korea Must Break the Vicious Cycle of Hostility in the Spirit of the Oct. 4 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration
On the 19th anniversary of the Oct. 4 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration, President Lee Jae-myung stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas, saying on Saturday that "only by breaking the vicious cycle of hostility and confrontation can we create a virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity." In a written congratulatory address read aloud by Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung, President Lee defined the Oct. 4 Declaration as "a historic agreement in which the two Koreas pledged to end military confrontation through mutual respect and trust, and to build a lasting peace regime." While acknowledging that "the journey toward peace on the Korean Peninsula will not be easy," he said it is "nevertheless the path we must take."
His remarks were grounded in the historical legacy of the Pyongyang summit 19 years ago. The Oct. 4 Declaration, agreed upon by President Roh Moo-hyun and National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang on October 4, 2007, was titled the "Declaration on the Advancement of Inter-Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity." The document covered ending the military state of hostility, building a peace regime, cooperation toward a declaration ending the Korean War, and economic cooperation projects.
Former President Roh crossed the Military Demarcation Line by land on his way to Pyongyang. President Lee evoked precisely that scene, emphasizing that "the inscription left at the final gateway to the North — 'the road where peace is forged, the road to prosperity' — most vividly captures the meaning of the Oct. 4 Declaration." He also recalled former President Roh's words: "Reciprocity will only bring a repeated cycle of crises and a structure of confrontation."
Meanwhile, in his Armed Forces Day address on October 1, President Lee consoled soldiers injured in a landmine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) while also calling for the resumption of dialogue with North Korea. However, the following day, Kim Yo-jong, director of the Workers' Party of Korea's General Affairs Department, issued a statement dismissing the overture as "the peak of a farce" and rejecting dialogue. President Lee said the two Koreas must "return to the spirit of the Oct. 4 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration."
