SOUTH KOREA-U.S. TALKS

[Anchor Lead]

It has been three days since North Korea fired short-range projectiles into the East Sea. Despite North Korea's latest action, the leaders of South Korea and the US talked on the phone and discussed ways to resume denuclearization negotiations as soon as possible. President Trump especially expressed support for South Korea's food assistance for the North, saying it will be a very timely and a positive step.

[Pkg]

On May 7th, at 10pm local time, President Moon Jae-in held a phone conversation with his American counterpart that lasted for 35 minutes. According to the nation's top office, despite North Korea's latest firing, the leaders discussed ways to keep Pyongyang on the dialogue track and resume nuclear negotiations at the earliest date. It's not confirmed if the two discussed whether the fired projectiles were missiles. But they agreed the allies' response to the act through close coordination was "appropriate and very effective." By stressing close cooperation, it's believed the duo expressed resolve to continue the momentum for dialogue. Moon said Trump's tweets played a critical role in guiding North Korea in a positive direction. The two also exchanged views on North Korea's food shortage situation as recently unveiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The U.S. commander in chief reportedly said that South Korea's humanitarian food aid to Pyongyang will be a very timely and positive step and that he supports it. The remarks are viewed as an effort to bring the communist state to the dialogue table through humanitarian support while keeping sanctions in place. Cheong Wa Dae added the leaders also agreed to hold close consultations related to arranging Trump's visit to South Korea in the near future.