MOON ON S. KOREA’S ALLIANCE WITH U.S.

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in has pledged to work with the Biden administration to further solidify Korea's alliance with the U.S. Moon appears determined to push for the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

[Pkg]

At the National Security Council meeting convened in time for U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration, President Moon Jae-in vowed to respond to rapid changes in the international community based on the Korea-U.S. alliance and make it more inclusive and reciprocal. Moon promised to work closely with the Biden administration to achieve progress in Korea's peace process.

[Soundbite] (PRES. MOON JAE-IN) : "It's about time to further develop our alliance with the U.S. and cooperation with other neighboring nations to turn this transition period in our favor."

Moon stressed the importance of finding a breakthrough in the stalled talks between Pyongyang and Washington as well as between the two Koreas. He instructed his foreign affairs officials to do their best to make the peace clock on the Korean Peninsula tick again.

[Soundbite] (PRES. MOON JAE-IN) : "Where there is a will, there is a way. I urge each ministry to take proactive approaches, because you are in charge of the peninsula's fate."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized efforts to promote talks between Pyongyang and Washington and the two Koreas, while the Ministry of Unification pointed out that the inter-Korean communication channel must be restored. The Ministry of National Defense reported to the president the implementation of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement based on the solid cooperative defense of South Korea and the United States. Earlier, President Moon sent a congratulatory message to Joe Biden and offered to meet as soon as possible to hold frank talks. Moon presided over the NSC meeting for the first time since the collapsed Pyongyang-Washington summit in Hanoi 22 months ago. This shows that the South Korean leader hopes to make progress in Korea's peace process in the early days of the Biden administration.