Keynote Address

[Anchor Lead]

In his keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Moon Jae-in used the word "peace" a total of 32 times, emphasizing the need for a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue. He also said that South Korea would keep trying to bring North Korea on board for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.

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President Moon Jae-in was the third keynote speaker among the leaders of some 120 countries around the globe. He became the first Korean president to give a speech at the General Assembly during the first year of their term since South Korea joined the United Nations in 1991. President Moon said that the international community should apply sanctions and pressure on North Korea to lead the regime to the negotiating table and the world should respond in a tough and decisive manner until Pyongyang gives up its nuclear ambition on its own.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "North Korea should stop making reckless choices that lead it into isolation and collapse and come out for dialogue at the negotiating table."

He emphasized that all nations should thoroughly implement the Security Council resolution and seek new corresponding measures for when Pyongyang initiates another provocation. However, he added that peace should not be destroyed by mounting tension or accidental military clashes and that the situation surrounding the North Korea nuclear issue should be managed in a manner that maintains stability. The president also stressed that all efforts are being made to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue through peaceful means and that the U.N. Security Council's sanctions against the North are one of them. Together with these solutions, he asked the U.N. to play a more active role while suggesting multilateral talks as a fundamental means to resolve the nuclear problem.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "The realization of peace is the beginning, the process, and goal of the U.N. The U.N. should play a more active role on the Korean Peninsula."

President Moon hoped that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics would be the start of peace and more robust economic cooperation in Northeast Asia and vowed to work together with the International Olympic Committee to try until the end to have North Korea participate in the Games.