North Korea Issues

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President Moon Jae-in has expressed resolve to produce breakthrough in North Korea-U.S. nuclear talks ahead of his summit with President Donald Trump. Here are the details.

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The leaders of South Korea and the U.S. are meeting once again, some 40 days after the Hanoi summit ended without an agreement. President Moon Jae-in said through the summit, the allies aim to swiftly revive the dialogue momentum between North Korea and the U.S. He expressed hope that Pyongyang would also respond. Moon's remarks are seen as urging the regime to return to the dialogue table as a breakthrough can be achieved through talks despite temporary difficulties that followed the no-deal Kim-Trump summit.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "I will find the way with President Trump. We will move forward together by blazing paths and making new roads if necessary."

On whether there were measures to bring North Korea to dialogue, the nation's top office said many options should be prepared. President Moon also strongly denied any rupture in the South Korea-US alliance, in response to such concerns and speculations by some people. He emphasized the two sides maintain close coordination and are completely in accord over denuclearization goals. Moon added that attempts to create any cracks in the alliance are irresponsible acts that are detrimental to national interest. According to the Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul will also hold consultations related to inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the South Korea-ASEAN special summit opening in Busan in November. If Kim does attend, it will be his debut on a multilateral diplomatic stage. But as the main concern at present is resuming Pyongyang-Washington dialogue, President Moon is expected to focus on this issue during the days remaining before his summit with Trump.