Moon, Biden agree on establishing North Korea policy at earliest possible date

Presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok talks about the phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to draw up a comprehensive strategy to deal with the North Korea nuclear issue during phone talks held Wednesday (local time), according to Cheong Wa Dae.

The two leaders had their first phone conversation since Biden took office two weeks ago, and discussed a range of security issues in the Asia-Pacific region while reaffirming the strong alliance between their countries, the presidential office said Thursday.

“The presidents agreed that they should work together to build a comprehensive North Korea strategy as soon as possible,” presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae.

“President Moon told President Biden that South Korea and the United States could work together to make progress in denuclearization efforts, and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Kang said.

According to the presidential spokesman, Biden appreciated Seoul's efforts to solve security issues on the peninsula, and said it was important for the two countries to hold to the same position on the matter in working closely together for their shared goals.

Moon and Biden also reaffirmed that the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which has continued to strengthen over the past seven decades since the 1950-53 Korean War, was the linchpin in keeping peace and prosperity in the region. They vowed to develop the alliance as a comprehensive and strategic one so that they can cooperate not only on issues involving the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region but also contribute to promoting democracy, human rights and multilateralism in the region, according to Kang.

The presidents agreed that improving relations between South Korea and Japan and establishing trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo was crucial in maintaining peace and prosperity.

Moon and Biden also discussed other global issues such as climate change, agreeing to continue cooperation in promoting an international climate summit and this year's Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) 2030 on green economic growth; distributing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments; and working for a global economic recovery.

Kang said they promised to hold a summit as soon as the coronavirus pandemic stabilizes.

“I just had a great conversation with President Joe Biden. I welcomed America's return in the midst of mounting global challenges such as COVID-19, climate change and economic polarization,” Moon wrote on Facebook after the phone call. “President Biden and I pledged to further upgrade the ROK-US alliance, an alliance that is anchored in shared values. We will always stand together as we work for peace on the Korean Peninsula and tackle global challenges. We go together!”

Since taking office last month, Biden has spoken with several foreign leaders, starting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Jan. 22. He spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last week.

Moon previously held phone talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Jan. 26.