As it is already known to the world, on July 27 the north and the south took a measure of restoring all the communication liaison lines between them, which had been cut off for over one year.

But in this regard, those inside and outside south Korea are freely interpreting its meaning their own way and there is even a public opinion about the issue of the north-south summit. I think it is a premature hasty judgment.

What I think is that the restoration of the communication liaison lines should not be taken as anything more than just the physical reconnection.

Hasty speculation and groundless interpretation will only bring despair, instead.

My view can be easily understandable if one looks back on the past three years when the north-south relations underwent undesirable turns, twists and fluctuation and inched to the crisis even though the top leaders of the north and the south had held each other's hands and made and published such a momentous agreement as the joint declaration.

For some days I have been hearing an unpleasant story that joint military exercises between the south Korean army and the U.S. forces could go ahead as scheduled.

We have never discussed the scale or form of the joint military exercises, the ones on the way at such a crucial time as now.

I view this as an undesirable prelude which seriously undermines the will of the top leaders of the north and the south wishing to see a step taken toward restoring mutual trust and which further beclouds the way ahead of the north-south relations.

Our government and army will closely follow whether the south Korean side stages hostile war exercises in August or makes other bold decision.

Hope or despair? Choice is not made by us.