President Moon Jae-in’s special security adviser has cautioned against premature optimism about inter-Korean relations, as the two Koreas have only taken the first steps toward long-lasting reconciliation.  

Moon Chung-in, presidential special adviser on foreign affairs and national security, gave a special lecture in the U.S. on Tuesday and said although many say there is a significant change in the relationship between the two Koreas thanks to the PyeongChang Olympics, it is only at a nascent and challenging stage. 

He said South Korea has been working hard to turn the Winter Games into an Olympics of peace, but there are still many hurdles to making it sustainable. 

The adviser assessed that the current situation marked substantial progress from last year since up until few months ago it was difficult for the two Koreas to even talk with each other. 

As key impediments to inter-Korean engagement, Moon pointed to the North’s nuclear ambitions and continuous provocations, U.S. military threats against the regime, and Seoul’s conflict with Beijing over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD antimissile system. 

He gave credit for recent progress to the combination of the U.S.' policy of keeping up the pressure on the North and South Korean President Moon Jae-in's sincere stance for cross-border dialogue.