PRESIDENT’S FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

[Anchor Lead]

At his first press conference to mark his first 100 days in office, President Yoon Suk-yeol said that if North Korea denuclearizes, the South Korean government would assist with the normalization of U.S.-DPRK relations. However, he warned that dialogues and negotiations with North Korea should not be turned into a political show. The president also talked about labor reform and stressed the importance of 'flexibility' while claiming that the labor laws should change in step with the fourth industrial revolution.

[Pkg]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that if North Korea stops its nuclear development programs, he would start discussing diplomatic assistance and the disarmament of conventional weapons to normalize relations between Washington and Pyongyang. It was a detailed explanation about the so-called "bold initiative" proposed in his Liberation Day address. Yoon emphasized, he does not want the situation in the regime to change by force and an inter-Korean summit or working-level negotiations were needed to denuclearize North Korea. However, he made it clear that dialogues should bring about significant results.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "Dialogue and negotiation shouldn’t turn into a political show and must realistically benefit the settlement of peace in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia."

When asked whether he agrees with the assertion that South Korea should possess nuclear arms if North Korea's denuclearization is impossible, President Yoon answered that he would not give up on the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. On the forced wartime labor issue pending between Seoul and Tokyo, he pointed out the South Korean Supreme Court had already ruled on the issue but still expressed hopes the two countries could reach a reasonable solution.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "We are looking for ways for the creditors to get compensation without causing any conflict in sovereignty as Japan fears."

The President also spoke about labor reform, one of the key tasks for his administration. He said the current labor law system should be changed to suit the fourth Industrial Revolution and manpower should be supplied flexibly to meet realistic demands. The South Korean leader repeatedly stressed labor issues should be resolved according to law and principle. However, he noted that the polarization of the labor market should be addressed from the aspect of fair compensation.