Moon appeals for resumption of inter-Korean dialogue in farewell speech

SEOUL, May 9 (Yonhap) -- Outgoing President Moon Jae-in appealed for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue Monday as he delivered a farewell address on his last day in office amid heightened tensions over North Korea's repeated tests of weapons. "Peace is a condition of survival for us, a condition of prosperity," Moon said. "I sincerely hope that efforts for denuclearization and institutionalization of peace will continue with the resumption of dialogue between the South and the North." Taking a look back on his five years as president, Moon touted his role for converting the 2017 crisis, when North Korea conducted a nuclear test and fired ICBMs, into dialogue and diplomacy. Moon said he turned a "crisis of war on the Korean Peninsula" in 2017 into a "phase of dialogue," and it raised hopes for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. Moon, who met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times in 2018, put his top priority on engaging with North Korea, and brokered summits between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump. Since the second summit between Kim and Trump ended without a deal, however, North Korea has shunned talks on its nuclear weapons program. So far this year, North Korea has carried out 15 rounds of weapons testing, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Concerns have persisted that North Korea could continue to carry out more provocations, such as another ICBM launch or even a nuclear test. kdh@yna.co.kr (END)