SK envoys to hold talks in China
Print Edition
SOUTH Korea’s President Moon Jae-in is to send special envoys to China to discuss issues concerning a US missile defense system and North Korea.
Press secretary Yoon Young-chan said separate delegations would hold talks with their Chinese counterparts on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and North Korea’s nuclear program.
Yoon said the initiative was mentioned during a 40-minute phone call yesterday, the first between Moon and China’s President Xi Jinping.
Xi congratulated Moon on his election and the leaders agreed to exchange special envoys as soon as possible, Yoon said.
They agreed to meet face-to-face at the earliest opportunity, and reaffirmed their common goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Yoon added.
Moon advocated a two-track approach of pressure and sanctions toward North Korea to resolve the country’s nuclear issue in a comprehensive, staged way.
He told Xi the ultimate goal of sanctions was to persuade North Korea to engage in dialogue about abolishing its nuclear program.
A phone conversation between Moon and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday night also touched on the Korean Peninsula. Trump extended an invitation to Moon to visit the United States.
China has rigorously objected to the deployment of the US missile defense system in South Korea, saying it destabilized regional security and did little to curb any threat from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, which are in defiance of US pressure and United Nations sanctions.
“President Moon said he understands China’s interest in the THAAD deployment and its concerns, and said he hopes the two countries can swiftly get on with communication to further improve each other’s understanding,” Yoon said.
In his first speech after he was sworn in, Moon said he would immediately begin efforts to defuse security tensions on the Korean Peninsula and negotiate with Washington and Beijing to ease the THAAD row. He also said he was prepared to go to Pyongyang “if the conditions are right.”
Regional experts have believed for months that North Korea was preparing for its sixth nuclear test and was working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US, presenting Trump with one of his most pressing security issues.
South Korea and the US began deploying the THAAD system in March and it has since become operational.
Xi told Moon that Seoul and Beijing should respect each other’s concerns, set aside their differences, seek common ground and handle disputes appropriately, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“For a long time, China has upheld the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, protecting the peace and stability of the peninsula and resolving the problem via dialogue and consultation,” Xi said.
The deployment of THAAD was agreed by former President Park Geun-hye’s administration last year. Moon has said he wants to review that decision.
China hopes South Korea’s government attaches importance to its concerns and takes real steps to promote the healthy and stable development of ties, Xi said.
Moon later spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and agreed a bilateral meeting soon.
Japan has been concerned that Moon will take a tough line on feuds stemming from its 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula and could fray ties at a time when cooperation over North Korea is vital.
Moon told Abe to “look straight at history” and not make the past “a barrier,” South Korea’s presidential office said.
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