President Moon meets President Trump in Washington this week to discuss ways to move forward with North Korea.<br />And more than ever, he's hoping to find a way to resolve the deadlock in inter-Korean relations.<br />Our Park Hee-jun has more. President Moon Jae-in kick-started the peace drive on the Korean Peninsula,... in a speech in Berlin,... when he made it clear that his goal is to achieve permanent peace.<br />"We do not want the collapse of North Korea, nor will we push for unification by absorption. Unification will happen naturally when peace is established on the Korean Peninsula. My administration and I only wish to realize peace."<br />For that, he said engagement between the two Koreas is crucial.<br />The president's commitment,... helped bring about the North's attendance at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a series of inter-Korean summits, family reunions, and cooperation in a range of fields.<br />And the South Korean president has vowed to speed up the process this year.<br />"The road to peace is ongoing even at this moment and it will pick up even more speed this year. I will not let my guard down until the promise of denuclearization is fulfilled and peace is institutionalized on the Korean Peninsula."<br />But no actual progress has been made in the first four months of 2019,... mainly due to sharp differences between Pyeongyang and Washington on denuclearization-- the cause of the collapse of the Hanoi summit.<br />On Thursday,... President Moon is expected to work with President Trump to find some middle ground between their differing demands on denuclearization,... so that inter-Korean relations can also move ahead.<br />"This South Korea-U.S. summit is the result of our administration's unwavering will to accomplish peace on the Korean Peninsula and President Trump's strong determination to strike a deal with North Korea through dialogue."<br />And although it's been far from an easy journey,... the president said those involved owe it to the past year of unbelievable accomplishments,... to continue trying.<br />"We will not and cannot go back to the past. If there is a dead end, we will pierce it, and if the road doesn't exist we will make one together."<br />And this shows how much the upcoming summit means for President Moon.<br />Park Hee-jun, Arirang News. <br />
