Seoul and allies to raise pressure on NK for denuclearization

Pressure on North Korea must be maximized to force the regime to abandon missile and nuclear programs, the South Korean and US presidents agreed Monday.

In a telephone conversation held early Monday, President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agreed that Seoul and Washington should collaborate with the international community to pressure North Korea “as much as possible.” This is the first direct communication between the two leaders since North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on July 28. 

According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Soo-hyun, Moon also expressed hopes for the renegotiation between the allies on ballistic missile guidelines to be completed amicably, saying that Seoul must improve its military capabilities. The missile guidelines adopted in 1979 limits the range and payload of South Korea’s ballistic missiles. Seoul hopes to increase the maximum weight of the warhead in missiles with 800 kilometers range to 1 metric ton from the current 500 kilograms.

Later in the day, Moon held a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during which the two sides confirmed their stance on North Korea.

According to Park, Moon stressed the need for Seoul-Tokyo and Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, saying that the three nations need to work together to bring Pyongyang to the negotiation table.

Park added that Abe agreed with Moon’s position that dialogue with North Korea is the final stage of denuclearization and that pressure must be maintained for the time being.

Regarding Trump’s enquiry on Seoul’s plans for engaging North Korea, Moon said that dialogue is a part of his two-track approach.

“The two countries should cooperate in bringing North Korea to the negotiation table for nuclear disarmament through sanctions and pressure applied from a position of power,” Park quoted Moon as saying. “At the same time, North Korea should be shown that the door to dialogue is open when (Pyongyang) makes the right choice of abandoning nuclear (armament).”

The South Korean president also stressed that war must be avoided and that the allies must seek peaceful resolution to the situation.

Seoul’s presidential spokesman also revealed that Moon and Trump assessed the UN Security Council’s latest sanctions as a step in the right direction.

Park said that Trump described the development as a “very important change in the situation,” adding that the allies must take a firm stance and apply “strong pressure and sanctions” on the regime.

While the conversation mainly revolved around security issues, Trump did not miss the opportunity to discuss the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. The Trump administration has requested Seoul to open talks to modify the deal to address trade imbalance between the two countries.

In response, Moon reiterated his view that the pact is mutually beneficial, but that the two sides should seek ways to improve the deal.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)