Reaching Out to NK

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in says he will hold dialogue with North Korea if it puts an end to its nuclear and missile provocations. He also said that he would respect all of the existing agreements between the two Koreas.

[Pkg]

In his speech marking the 17th anniversary of the inter-Korean summit, President Moon Jae-in proposed to Pyongyang to hold talks under the precondition that it stops its nuclear and missile provocations. The president outlined concrete preconditions for resuming dialogue about a month since taking office.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "I want to make it clear that if Pyongyang stops additional nuclear and missile provocations, I will resume inter-Korean talks unconditionally."

President Moon said he would respect all the previous agreements between the two Koreas, such as the June 15th Joint Statement and the 2007 declaration on the advancement of inter-Korean relations, peace and prosperity. He also urged Pyongyang to give a positive response. President Moon said that if the North decides to abandon its nuclear program, he is willing to discuss the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the normalization of the North's relations with the United States in line with Pyongyang's demands made thus far.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "We can hold comprehensive talks on the complete abandonment of North Korea's nuclear program, the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the normalization of ties between Pyongyang and Washington."

However, the president criticized Pyongyang for not walking the walk by continuing to advance its nuclear and missile programs, and urged Pyongyang to respect and implement the agreements made with the South in the past. Attention is now focusing on how North Korea will respond to President Moon's proposition to hold inter-Korean talks to achieve progress.