Moon stresses peaceful NK resolution

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford during their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. / Yonhap

US top general supports diplomatic, economic measures

By Jun Ji-hye

President Moon Jae-in said Monday there cannot be another war on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean nuclear and missile issues should be resolved peacefully.

Moon demanded North Korea immediately stop its bellicose rhetoric and threats that are aggravating the situation.

He said that if the North chooses the "right path," the South is ready to boost exchanges and cooperation with it, which will be beneficial for both sides.

The President made the remarks during a meeting with his senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae.

He vowed that the government will make all-out efforts to resolve tension through close cooperation with major allies including the United States.

Stressing the top priority of South Korea is maintaining peace, Moon said North Korean issues should be resolved peacefully and that the U.S. government's position is the same.

"A tragic war can never be allowed to break out on the Korean Peninsula again," Moon said. "I am sure the U.S. will keep itself calm and respond to the current situation responsibly."

Moon added that peace on the peninsula will not be achieved through the use of arms.

The President's comments came amid an exchange of verbal threats between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Last week, Kim threatened to strike areas around Guam with four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles in response to Trump's warnings of "fire and fury like the world has never seen."

Trump also tweeted that Washington's nuclear arsenal was "now stronger and more powerful than ever before" and that the U.S. military is "locked and loaded" to deal with the North's provocations.

Moon's comments were construed as putting the brakes on the North's young leader and President Trump, as well as some U.S. politicians' increasingly mentioning various military options including a pre-emptive strike or a war on the peninsula.

Moon meets Dunford

Later in the day, President Moon held a meeting with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Gen. Joseph Dunford at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss how to deal with rising tensions and enhance the two countries' security cooperation.

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Gen. Dunford arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday.

During the meeting, Moon called on the U.S. to play a leading part in resolving North Korea nuclear issues and the crisis facing the peninsula, according to presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun.

Moon also called on the North to come forward for negotiations after stopping its provocations, apparently considering his previous proposals to hold military and Red Cross talks, which the North has not responded to.

In response, Gen. Dunford said the U.S. armed forces are putting top priority on supporting Washington's diplomatic and economic efforts to better deter the Kim regime, according Park.

The top U.S. general noted that the armed forces are also preparing for military options if these efforts fail.

Park quoted Gen. Dunford as saying that the U.S. will keenly cooperate with South Korea in carrying out any measures; and that the U.S. hopes that the situation will be resolved without a war.

At the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, the general was accompanied by U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks as well as Marc Knapper, the acting U.S. ambassador to Seoul.

From the South Korean government, National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and the deputy commander of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), Gen. Kim Byeong-joo, were present.

NSO chief Chung earlier canceled his summer vacation plans amid mounting military tension here.

Regarding the North's threats to strike areas around Guam, Gen. Dunford said any military action in response to the North's possible attack will be made by the U.S. president and in the context of the alliance.

"Our job is to make sure our leadership has an option available to them," he said at a press meeting held at the CFC headquarters in Yongsan after his meeting with Moon. "I believe there are two things we are clear about _ one is our responsibility to defend against attack, and two is our requirement to make sure we have a decisive response in the event of attack."

The general, however, again stressed that Washington's current policy is focused on diplomatic and economic pressure, and sanctions.

"We are seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis. That is an important message," he said.

Prior to the visit of Gen. Dunford to three Asian countries including Japan and China, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement that the visit was to "support Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's diplomatic and economic campaign to deter North Korea."

Dunford visited Japan before coming to South Korea, and then left for China later after wrapping up his two-day trip here.

When asked what he will discuss in China, he said he will require Beijing "not only to do what they did at the U.N. Security Council, which was to vote for sanctions, but to enforce those sanctions."

Earlier in the day, Dunford held separate talks with Defense Minister Song Young-moo at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, during which the U.S. general stressed Seoul is one of Washington's best friends.

The U.S. official also offered his congratulations to Song on his recent appointment as defense minister, saying U.S. naval admirals were pleased with the appointment. Song is a retired naval admiral.

In response, Song told Dunford in English: "The marines and navy are very close, and the United States and Korea also."

After the meeting with Song, Gen. Dunford also held short talks with his South Korean counterpart, JCS Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-jin.

A statement on the U.S. Joint Staff Facebook page said, "The trip highlights our ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea in the face of North Korea's provocations and threats."