Trump supports Moon's policy to reopen dialogue with NK in joint statement
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump give speeches after their summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., Friday. In a joint statement, they said they would open dialogue with North Korea to resolve the nuclear issue under right conditions. / Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump said Seoul and Washington could open dialogue with North Korea to resolve the nuclear program issue under the right circumstances, Friday.
During their first summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., President Trump supported South Korea’s leading role in making an environment for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and Moon’s aspiration to restart inter-Korean dialogue on issues including humanitarian affairs.
In a joint statement announced more than seven hours after the summit, the two leaders agreed that sanctions are a tool of diplomacy and the door to dialogue with Pyongyang will be opened if the right conditions are met.
“In reaffirming our two sides’ shared top priority to resolve the nuclear issue, the two leaders emphasized that the United States and South Korea do not maintain a hostile policy toward North Korea and, together with the rest of the international community, stand ready to offer a brighter future for North Korea if it chooses the right path,” the statement said.
“The two sides decided to closely coordinate on our joint North Korea policy, including how to create conditions necessary for denuclearization talks, through a high-level strategic consultation mechanism.”
Washington also showed support for Seoul’s leading role in establishing an environment for unification and restarting inter-Korean talks.
Condemning the North’s continuous nuclear and missile provocations, the two leaders “affirmed their commitment to fully implement existing sanctions and impose new measures designed to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to compel Pyongyang to cease its provocative actions and return to sincere and constructive talks,” the joint statement read.
In a speech after the summit, Moon also reaffirmed that strong security makes peace possible. “We agreed to resolve the issue fundamentally through a phased and comprehensive approach by using both sanctions and dialogue. I hope Pyongyang will not underestimate the two allies’ strong will to address the issue. I also urge the North to come back to the negotiation table for denuclearization,” Moon said.
Trump said, “The U.S. calls on other regional powers and all responsible nations to join us in implementing sanctions and demanding that the North Korean regime choose a better path and do it quickly for a different future for its long-suffering people.”
Pledging to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Trump reiterated the U.S. commitment to provide deterrence to South Korea with the full range of military capabilities, both conventional and nuclear, according to the statement. For better coordination on alliance issues, the two leaders agreed to hold regular ministerial meetings of foreign affairs and defense agencies and establish a high-level extended deterrence strategy and consultation group.
They also decided to work for a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul.
On the trade issue, Moon and Trump agreed to foster expanded and balanced trade and create reciprocal benefits and fair treatment between the two nations. “In that regard, the two sides further committed to foster a truly fair and level playing field, including working together to reduce the global overcapacity of such basic materials as steel, as well as reduce non-tariff barriers to trade,” according to the statement.
Regarding the issue, at the beginning of the summit, Trump went further to say the two nations are renegotiating a trade deal, saying the current South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) has caused a trade imbalance and huge deficit to his country.
In the joint statement, the two leaders also decided to collaborate on various global issues, agreeing to help the world prevent and respond to infectious diseases and to fight against terrorist activities.
Moon invited Trump to South Korea within the year, which the latter accepted.