| December 1. | - President
Moon Jae-in, in a press conference on a plane during his
overseas tour, states, “(Responding to the question about
corresponding measures to make a breakthrough for North
Korea-US dialogue) Corresponding measures do not necessarily
mean easing or lifting of sanctions. I hope that you
understand that meaning comprehensively.”
-
Corresponding measures, for example, include postponement or
reduction of ROK-US military exercises, humanitarian aid,
non-political exchange in the fields of sports and art,
research for the connection of railways, and a formal
declaration of the end of the war. |
| December 4. | - President
Moon, in a joint press conference after a summit with the
New Zealand Prime Minister, says, “Facilitating the
denuclearization is more important than Chairman Kim Jong
Un’s visit to Seoul.”
|
| December 7. | - The ROK-US
working group on North Korea holds a video conference.
|
| December 8-17. | - The two Koreas conduct a joint field
survey of the Donghae Railway.
|
| December 9. | - The two
Koreas complete the joint survey of the Han River
estuary.
|
| December 10. |
- The two Koreas complete the joint
excavation of Manwoldae, a Goryeo-era palace in
Gaeseong.
|
| December 11-13. |
- The South and North Korean
delegations for forestry cooperation make on-site visits in
Pyeongyang.
- Checking the distribution of the
chemicals for forestry disease and pest control provided on
November 29; visiting tree nurseries and forestry equipment
factories; and holding a working-level meeting on future
inter-Korean forestry cooperation. |
| December 11-17. | - A
group of North Korean athletes visits South Korea to
participate in the ITTF 2018 World Tour Grand Final held in
Incheon on December 13-16.
|
| December 12. | - The two
Koreas hold a working-level meeting on healthcare
cooperation at the inter-Korean joint liaison office in
Gaeseong.
- Delegates: (South) A three-member
delegation including Kwon Joon-wook, Director General for
Healthcare Policy of the Health and Welfare Ministry.
(North) A three-member delegation including Kim Yun Chol,
Director General of the Ministry of Public Health.
-
Exchanging information about influenza on a trial basis; and
discussing ways to regularly exchange information about
influenza and other infectious diseases. |
| December 12. | - The
two Koreas jointly verify the trial withdrawal of guard
posts.
|
| December 13. |
- The two Koreas hold a working-level
meeting on a groundbreaking ceremony for the connection of
railways and roads at the inter-Korean joint liaison office
in Gaeseong.
- The two sides agreed to hold the
groundbreaking ceremony at Panmun Station in Gaeseong on
December 26. |
| December
14. | - The inter-Korean sports
talks are held at the inter-Korean joint liaison office in
Gaeseong.
- Delegates: (South) Second Vice Minister of
Culture, Sports and Tourism Roh Tae-kang, Director General
for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of
Unification (MOU) Lee Joo-tae, Deputy Director-General of
the Prime Minister’s Office Song Hye-jin, and head of the
International Headquarters of the Korea Sports Council Park
Cheol-keun. (North) Vice Minister of Physical Culture and
Sports Won Kil U, Secretary General of the DPRK Olympic
Committee Ko Chol Ho, and official of the Committee for the
Peaceful Reunification of the Country Ri Un Chol.
-
Joint Press Release: Agreeing to deliver the IOC a letter
expressing intent to jointly host the 2032 Olympics as soon
as possible and hold a meeting along with the IOC on
February 15, 2019; Continuing to discuss the formation of
unified teams for the 2020 Olympics and joint training, and
joint participation in the 2020 Paralympics; and discussing
exchange and cooperation in sports through working-level
meetings and written correspondence. |
| December 17. | - The UN
General Assembly adopts a resolution condemning North
Korea’s human rights record.
|
| December 19. | - The
implementation committee of the inter-Korean joint
declarations holds the second meeting at the Blue
House.
|
| December 21. |
- The ROK-US working group on North
Korea holds the second meeting in Seoul.
|
| December 21-23. |
- The two Koreas conduct a joint survey of the Donghae
Road (about 100km between Goseong and Wonsan).
|
| December 22. |
- The unified Korean men’s handball team begins joint
training in Germany.
- The unified men’s handball team
will participate in the 26th International Handball
Federation (IHF) Men’s Handball World Championship held in
Germany and Denmark on January 10-27, 2019. |
| December 22. | - The
ROK government returns three North Koreans rescued on the
East Sea and one body to the North via Panmunjeom.
|
| December 24. | - The two Koreas conduct a joint survey of
the Gyeongui Road (about 4km in Gaeseong).
|
| December 26. | - The
two Koreas hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the
connection and modernization of cross-border railways and
roads at Panmun Station in Gaeseong.
- The ceremony
began with congratulatory speeches at 10 a.m., followed by
signing of a railroad tie, track-linking, and unveiling of a
sign at the station
- Delegates: (South) Minister of
Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Kim Hyun-mee,
Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, and Democratic Party
leader Lee Hae-chan. (North) Ri Son Gwon, chief of the
high-level talks; Pang Kang Su, chairman of the National
Economic Cooperation Committee (NECC); Pak Myong Chol,
vice-chairman of the NECC; Kim Yun Hyok, Vice Minister of
Railways; Pak Ho Yong, Vice Minister of Land and
Environmental Protection; and Choe Byong Ryeol, chairman of
the Gaeseong City people’s committee. |
| December 28. | - The ROK
government notifies the North of the outbreak of measles to
prevent the spread of the infectious disease between the
South and the North through the inter-Korean joint liaison
office in Gaeseong.
|
| December
30. | - North Korean leader Kim
Jong Un sends a letter to President Moon Jae-in.
- “(I
am) willing to meet President Moon often in 2019 in order to
make progress in the discussions on peace and prosperity of
the Korean Peninsula and address denuclearization. I will
keep an eye on the situation and visit Seoul.”
|
