Moon Jae-in: "The Hanoi 'no-deal' was painful... Peace is not achieved in a single stroke"

[The Financial News] Former President Moon Jae-in, visiting the United States on the 6th (local time), reflected on his efforts to promote U.S.–North Korea summits during his presidency and on the "no-deal" summit in Hanoi, while urging the resumption of dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea.
On this day, Moon visited the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, where he offered his views on restarting talks between Washington and Pyongyang and on recent international developments, including the war involving the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In his keynote speech, he said, "When I took office as president, the Korean Peninsula stood before a towering wave of crisis, on the brink of war," adding, "I did not stop at merely managing that crisis. Instead, I saw it as a strategic opportunity to create a turning point for peace and devoted my utmost efforts to making that a reality."
He went on, "Through persistent mediation and diplomatic efforts, we brought about the historic first-ever U.S.–North Korea summit," describing it as "a truly bold journey for peace that captured the attention of the entire world."
Moon said, "Although the second U.S.–North Korea summit in Hanoi ended in a 'no-deal' and failed to produce the outcome we had hoped for, which remains a deeply painful regret, that step was by no means in vain," adding, "Peace is not a fortress completed in a single stroke, but like a river that keeps carving out its course as it flows forward."
Regarding the Hanoi no-deal, he continued, "At the time, there clearly was a path for both sides to 'win–win' through a phased, simultaneous and practical approach, but an ideological stance of 'all or nothing' took precedence over the principle of a mutually beneficial agreement, and in the end the talks failed to reach a deal," arguing, "The collapse of the negotiations ultimately drove North Korea further down a path of isolation and closure, producing the outcome none of us wanted: the advancement of its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is an outcome that President Trump himself would never have desired."
In this context, Moon called on President Trump and Chairman Kim to make a "bold, far-reaching decision"—in other words, to return to the negotiating table and resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea.
Moon also voiced concern over the current international situation. "Since World War II, we are now facing a crisis in which the universal order of cooperation is collapsing," he said, adding, "The moral authority with which the United States has led the world is also being challenged. I urge the United States once again to exercise leadership that champions solidarity and cooperation."
He stressed in particular, "The international community is deeply concerned about the recent armed clashes and rising tensions surrounding the Islamic Republic of Iran," and said that all sides must work together to restrain the use of force and to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

gowell@fnnews.com Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter