Topic: 2018 Inter-Korean Summits
Background: In April of 2018, North and South Koreas held a summit on the South Korean side of the Joint Security Area. This was the first inter-Korean summit in eleven years and third overall. During the summit, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of North Korea, discussed major political matters such as denuclearization and humanitarian needs in North Korea. A month later in May, the two leaders met again to discuss Kim Jong-un’s summit with President Donald Trump in June. In September, a third 2018 inter-Korean Summit will be held in Pyongyang, North Korean capital.
Guiding Questions:
– How will these inter-Korean summits impact the relations of North and South Koreas in the near future and in the long run?
– What are some of the significant matters that you believe should be discussed in the Inter-Korean summits?
– Meeting with President Moon was only the second time Kim Jong-un had met with another head of state since he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in March. Since then, Kim had been actively engaging in meeting with heads of states. Why is North Korea suddenly interacting with the rest of the world after decades of isolation and pledging to denuclearize?
– How will these summits impact the relations of North Korea and the United States?
– Recent inter-Korean summits had shed light to prospects of Korean reunification. Is Korea likely to reunify in the near future? What are some of the obstacles the two states must overcome to reunify?
The questions above are only suggestions; please feel free to take your own creative approach to the topic!
