Bridging the Divide-Moon Jae-In's Korean Peace Initiative

Is peace on the Korean Peninsula in reach? Or has another chance been missed?
What would it would look like anyway, after decades of failed attempts? And how could a peace process be sustained?
After the US and North Korea appeared to come within a tweet or two of declaring war in 2017, the mood was upended amid a flurry of summit breakthroughs in 2018. Reality bit when a second US-North Korea summit failed in February 2019. Over the months since, many have felt the impetus toward peace drain away. Peace was never going to be easy. But the current push to resolve the peninsula’s problems, and especially the intractable issue of Pyongyang's nuclear arms, is distinguished by the unique role of Moon Jae-in, South Korea's president since May 2017. While his role is often overlooked by the world's media, Moon's deliberate and considered peace initiative is a driving force in shaping the dialogue not only between the two Koreas but also between Washington and Pyongyang, and it places him in a critical position of bridging the divide. This volume aims to understand Moon's pivotal role and explore the goals, theory and context of his initiative. Chung-in Moon, distinguished university professor, Yonsei University, and renowned East Asia scholar John Delury bring together 15 authors from across the academic, diplomatic and government spheres to trace his vision and efforts to engage Kim Jong Un and finally bring peace to the divided Korean people.