And soon after addressing at the Russian Duma, President Moon went to meet with Koreans living in Russia,... where he told them... there will be "no more war" on the Korean Peninsula.
Cha Sang-mi has the story.
Meeting with Russian officials, Russians of Korean descent as well as Korean nationals living in Russia on Thursday, President Moon assured them there will be (quote) "no more war" on the Korean Peninsula.
"The opportunity is here for historic peace on the Korean Peninsula. There will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula from now on and cooperation between the two Koreas will be expanded to three-way cooperation with Russia."
President Moon said he will be sitting down with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss ways the two nations can cooperate for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Eurasia.
He expressed gratitude to the Russian people who helped Korean independence activists on their soil during Japan's colonial rule of Korea in the early-to-mid 20th century.
Noting that Seoul and Moscow will be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations in 2020, Moon said the advancement in their bilateral relations during such a short time frame was impressive.
"The development in our ties had sped up recently due to cooperation in the Far East region and Eurasia. Our bilateral trade volume reached 19 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, up 40 percent compared to last year."
He stressed that the priority for Seoul-Moscow cooperation should be on the health and welfare of the two countries' citizens.
Sharing his excitement for the Russia World Cup, he commented on sports and arts -- ranging from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina musical shown in Korea and the K-pop and K-drama fever in Russia -- saying they will surely bring South Korea and Russia even closer.
The head of Moscow Korean Association welcomed President Moon, expressing hope the reconciliatory mood between the Koreas will lead to three-way cooperation with Russia.
As for the next generation of Russians of Korean descent and Korean nationals living in the nation, President Moon vowed to provide support and expand scholarship programs, so they can cherish Korean language and culture.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.
