Nuclear freeze will be entrance to talks to resolve N. Korea issue: Moon

`S. Korea, US need to discuss what they can provide to N. Korea'

By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed Wednesday his two-phase resolution of “freeze first and complete disarmament second” in resolving North Korea’s nuclear threat, saying this would be the condition for any talks to address the issue.

He said it was wrong to stop a bad activity through compensation, but added if Pyongyang freezes its programs and follows steps toward denuclearization, Seoul and the international community need to discuss what actions they can take in return.

On his way to Washington, D.C., for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Moon told reporters on the plane that the North should stop additional nuclear and missile provocations, and promise a nuclear freeze as a minimum condition for complete nuclear disarmament talks to begin.

“A nuclear freeze is the entrance to the talks, and the exit of the talks will be complete denuclearization,” he said.

Moon said each stage of the process should be verified thoroughly; after one stage is verified, then the North should carry out the next step and so on, and according to any progress, Seoul and Washington would also do something in an “action-for-action” scenario.

“South Korea and the U.S. should discuss whether we should provide something in accordance with the freeze and what we can provide if we do; and if Pyongyang takes the next steps, then what else we can provide; and if it carries out the final stage of denuclearization such as destroying its nuclear weapons and these are all verified, what we can do finally.”

But Moon made it clear it is Seoul and Washington’s official stance that a nuclear freeze cannot be linked to scaling down the allies’ joint military exercises — an option earlier suggested by his security adviser Moon Chung-in.

Regarding the possibility of Pyongyang breaking the agreement during such a process, the President said thorough verification at each stage was the key. “But if North Korea breaks the agreement during the course and returns to nuclear armament, it will isolate itself from the international community completely and will justify any sanctions the community would set.”

About Trump’s claim that the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) is disadvantageous to his country, Moon said he sees the pact as balancing both countries’ economic interests.

“In an FTA, a country has gains in some fields and losses in other fields. For Korea, the KORUS FTA helps the manufacturing and motor sectors but disadvantages the agriculture and services sectors, and vice versa for the U.S.,” Moon said, adding the agreement has been helping to increase trade between the two nations.

“President Trump will understand if we explain Korean companies’ investments into the U.S. have grown a lot and this has led to the employment of more American citizens. If there is room for the agreement to be developed and improved for our mutual benefit, we can talk about it more.”

The President said the goals of the summit include not only strengthening the alliance and discussing cooperation to resolve the North Korea issue but also building trust and friendship between the leaders of the two countries.