| August
1. | - US President Donald Trump
publishes a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on
his Twitter feed.
|
| August
1. | - The ROK Vice Minister of
Unification visits the renovation site of the facility for
reunions of separated families on Mount Geumgang.
|
| August 2. |
- US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris, in a press
conference, says, “We need demonstrable moves toward
denuclearization on the part of North Korea before we can
entertain something like the end-of-war declaration.
Providing a complete list of nuclear facilities would be a
great start.”
|
| August 2. |
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
states, “The proclamation on the termination of war on the
Korean Peninsula conforms to the progress of the
times.”
|
| August 3. |
- Hyun Jeong-eun, chairwoman of the
Hyundai Group, visits Mount Geumgang to commemorate the 15th
anniversary of the death of late Chairman Chung
Mong-hun.
|
| August 4. |
- The two Koreas exchange the final
lists for reunions of separated family members on the
occasion of National Liberation Day.
|
| August 4. | - North
Korea’s Foreign Minister calls for “synchronous, phased
approaches” to denuclearization at the ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore.
- “A
new way of building mutual trust first and carrying out all
agreements at the Joint Statement in a balanced,
synchronous, and phased way is the only, realistic way to
succeed.” |
| August 4. |
- The US delivers North Korea
President Trump’s reply to the letter from Kim Jong Un at
the ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
|
| August 7. | - North Korea
returns a South Korean who entered the North illegally to
the South via Panmunjeom.
|
| August 8. | - The South and
the North jointly inspect the damage caused by forest
diseases and pests on Mount Geumgang.
- Delegates:
(South) The 12-member delegation headed by Lim Sang-sup,
head of the Forest Industry and Policy Bureau at the Korea
Forest Service, visited the North. (North) The ten-member
delegation headed by Jang Yong Chol, vice director-general
of the General Bureau of Forest, participated in the
inspection.
- After the on-site inspection, the two
sides held a working-level meeting and exchanged opinions on
the implementation of the previous agreements including
those for disease and pest control and modernization of tree
nurseries. |
| August 9. |
- The two Koreas hold the second
meeting for joint railway survey at the Inter-Korean Transit
Office on the Gyeongui Line.
- Delegates: (South) A
six-member delegation including Hwang Seong-kyu, director
general of Railways at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
and Transport (MLIT). (North) A six-member delegation
including Kim Chang Sik, department director of the Ministry
of Railways.
- The two sides discussed the composition
of the personnel, schedules, and methods for the on-site
joint survey of the Gyeongui and Donghae railway lines in
the North. |
| August 9. |
- A spokesperson for the DPRK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, calls on the US
to take corresponding measures.
- “Some high-level
officials within the US administration are desperately
attempting to step up the international sanctions and
pressure. As long as the US clings to the outdated acting
script that the previous administrations have all tried, and
which have failed, one cannot expect any progress in the
implementation of the DPRK-US joint statement including
denuclearization. The US should respond to our sincere
efforts in a corresponding manner.” |
| August 9. | - North
Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, in a meeting with
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, states that
“Although North Korea has agreed on disarmament to deliver
on its commitments in negotiations with the US, we will
preserve our nuclear science because we know that the
Americans will not abandon their hostility toward us.”
|
| August 10. | - A group of South Koreans visit the North
to participate in the international youth football
tournament (until August 19).
- The tournament is held
in Pyeongyang from August 13 to 18 and attended by 220
athletes of eight teams from South and North Korea,
Uzbekistan, Belarus, Russia, and China. |
| August 10. | - The
North Korean delegation for the inter-Korean workers’
football match visits Seoul (until August 12).
|
| August 10. |
- the incident in which South Korean firms imported coal
from North Korea falsely reported as Russian products.
- Confirming unauthorized trade in seven of the nine
investigated cases; pressing charges against three firms and
three individuals involved; and planning to take necessary
measures, including imposition of an entry ban or seizure,
against the ships involved. |
| August 11. | - The ROK
government imposes an entry ban on four ships found to have
transported North Korean coal.
- After the enforcement
of UNSC Resolution 2371, which prohibits the importation and
exportation of North Korean coal, the ROK government
prohibited the entry of the four ships found to have brought
in North Korean coal to domestic ports. |
| August 13. | - The
two Koreas hold the fourth high-level talks at the Thongil
House on the northern side of Panmunjeom
- Delegates:
(South) Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (chief), Vice
Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, Second Deputy Director
of the National Security Office Nam Gwan-pyo, and Deputy
Director-General for the Prime Minister’s Office Ahn
Moon-hyun. (North) Chairman of the Committee for the
Peaceful Reunification of the Country (CPRC) Ri Son Gwon
(chief), CPRC Vice Chairman Pak Yong Il, Vice Minister of
Railroads Kim Yun Hyok, Vice Minister of Land and
Environmental Protection Pak Ho Young, and Vice Chairman of
the National Economic Cooperation Committee Pak Myong
Chol.
- Joint Press Release: The two sides agreed to
hold the inter-Korean summit in Pyeongyang in
September. |
| August 13. |
- The inter-Korean joint road
survey team holds the first meeting in Gaeseong and conducts
the joint survey of roads on the Gyeongui Line
(Gaeseong-Pyeongyang) (until August 20).
- Delegates:
(South) A five-member delegation including Director General
of Roads at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and
Transport Baek Seung-geun. (North) A four-member delegation
including Director General of the Ministry of Land and
Environmental Protection Kim Ki Chol. |
| August 15. | - President
Moon Jae-in, in his speech marking the 73rd National
Liberation Day, suggests the creation of unification
economic zones and the East Asian Railroad Community while
emphasizing that “When the dreams of a peace-based economy
are realized, our economy can take a new leap
forward.”
- “I believe in the importance of
recognizing that we are the protagonists in Korean
Peninsula-related issues. Advancement in inter-Korean
relations is the driving force behind denuclearization of
the Korean Peninsula .When peace is … established, special
unification economic zones will be built in the border
areas….I propose the creation of the East Asian Railroad
Community, encompassing six Northeast Asian countries and
the United States. It will initiate a Northeast Asian
multilateral peace and security system.” |
| August 15. | - The
ROK government sends the North an advance team to prepare
for reunions of separated families.
|
| August 15. | - The two
Koreas connect the military communications line on the East
Sea and make a test call.
|
| August 18. | - South and
North Korean athletes enter the stadium together at the
opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
|
| August 20. |
- The 21st reunions of separated
families are held on Mount Geumgang (until August 26).
- A total of 833 persons from 170 families are united.
- In the first session on August 20-22 hosted by the North,
382 members from 89 separated families (197 persons from the
South and 185 persons from the North) are united.
- In
the second session on August 24-26 hosted by the South, 451
members from 81 separated families (326 persons from the
South and 125 persons from the North) are united.
|
| August 20. |
- President Moon, in a meeting with senior presidential
aides, emphasizes that the South and the North should work
hard to address the issue of separated families more
boldly.
- He made mention about carrying out plans for
more reunions, including confirmation of whether all
separated family members are still alive, video reunions,
regular reunions, exchange of letters, and visits to
hometowns, and about operating the permanent reunion center
on Mount Geumgang for regular reunions. |
| August 22. | - The
two Koreas participate in the Pan-Korean Peace Forum marking
the 73rd National Liberation Day in Shenyang, China (until
August 24).
- The forum is co-hosted by the National
Unification Advisory Council and the Hankyoreh Foundation
for Reunification and Culture to discuss ways to implement
the Panmunjeom Declaration with panels from the South, the
North, and overseas present. |
| August 23. | - US Secretary
of State Pompeo, in a press conference, announces a planned
visit to North Korea next week and appoints Stephen E.
Biegun as the US Special Representative for North
Korea.
|
| August 24. |
- US President Trump announces the
canceling of Pompeo’s planned visit to the North and
mentions China’s non-cooperation on his Twitter
account.
- “I have asked Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I
feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to
the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Additionally,
because of our much tougher trading stance with China, I do
not believe they are helping with the process of
denuclearization as they once were.” |
| August 29. | - US
President Trump states that “China is putting tremendous
pressure on North Korea. My relationship with Kim Jong Un is
very good. There is no reason to be spending large amounts
of money on joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Yet,
if we resume the drills, they will be far bigger than ever
before” (in a statement by the White House).
|
| August 31. |
- The ROK government suggests to the North the sending of
special envoys of the ROK President on September 5.
|
| August 31. | - North Korea agrees to the South’s
proposal to send the President’s special envoys to the
North.
|
