Moon's adviser calls for US
By Kim Rahn
Washington and Pyongyang forming diplomatic ties will be the best option to prevent U.S. military action against North Korea, according to Moon Chung-in, President Moon Jae-in's special adviser for unification and national security affairs.
His remarks came after the North expressed a willingness for talks with the U.S., though the latter has emphasized that such talks would be available only if Pyongyang shows a credible intention for denuclearization.
Meanwhile, some Washington officials still remain serious about military options.
In a lecture organized by the Washington chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council, Tuesday, Moon Chung-in said, "Related nations need to form a multilateral consultative system to prevent U.S. military action, and the best way is for the U.S. and the North to form diplomatic ties."
For that, the North should show its intention to scrap its nuclear facilities and materials verifiably, then China and South Korea can take action (for mediation) and the issue can progress, he said.
The adviser noted that North Koreans worry the U.S. would take similar actions toward them as it did toward the Saddam Hussein and the Muammar Gaddafi regimes. "If Pyongyang and Washington make a specific agreement and solidify it within the six-party talks system, it will be difficult for Washington to take military action unilaterally," he said. "(If the U.S. pushes ahead with such an action within the multilateral talk system), its international control will be hit hard and it would face international isolation."
As to the U.S.'s maximum pressure campaign, Moon said the North regards this not as a tool for denuclearization but as a hostile activity to overthrow or destroy its regime. "So the U.S. should set its priorities clearly in dealing with the North Korea issue: It has to focus everything on the nuclear issue while handling democracy or human rights as secondary ones."
Moon, a distinguished professor at Yonsei University, noted the softened stance of Kim Yong-chol, the chief of the Worker's Party of Korea's United Front Department, who visited the South from Sunday to Tuesday to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and hold talks with President Moon and other Seoul officials.
"North Korean officials used to refuse any talks about denuclearization, but this time Kim did not do so. It showed some possibility (for the North to have related dialogue)," he said.
But he added the future of the issue depends on how Pyongyang will react to the Seoul-Washington joint military exercises which were delayed until after the Games but may take place in early April.
In a separate seminar hosted by the National Committee on North Korea later in the day, Moon said the suspended drills were unlikely to be delayed again or cancelled. "But if the U.S. and North Korea hold talks before their resumption, there can be some compromises. I personally hope such talks can take place before the military exercises resume."
The adviser said President Moon is taking "maximum prudence" to mediate the Washington-Pyongyang talks over denuclearization.
He was positive about such talks taking place in near future. "If Seoul and Washington can make a joint roadmap providing Pyongyang with reasonable incentives in return for abandoning its nuclear program, I think they can persuade the North," he said.
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| Moon Chung-in |
His remarks came after the North expressed a willingness for talks with the U.S., though the latter has emphasized that such talks would be available only if Pyongyang shows a credible intention for denuclearization.
Meanwhile, some Washington officials still remain serious about military options.
In a lecture organized by the Washington chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council, Tuesday, Moon Chung-in said, "Related nations need to form a multilateral consultative system to prevent U.S. military action, and the best way is for the U.S. and the North to form diplomatic ties."
For that, the North should show its intention to scrap its nuclear facilities and materials verifiably, then China and South Korea can take action (for mediation) and the issue can progress, he said.
The adviser noted that North Koreans worry the U.S. would take similar actions toward them as it did toward the Saddam Hussein and the Muammar Gaddafi regimes. "If Pyongyang and Washington make a specific agreement and solidify it within the six-party talks system, it will be difficult for Washington to take military action unilaterally," he said. "(If the U.S. pushes ahead with such an action within the multilateral talk system), its international control will be hit hard and it would face international isolation."
As to the U.S.'s maximum pressure campaign, Moon said the North regards this not as a tool for denuclearization but as a hostile activity to overthrow or destroy its regime. "So the U.S. should set its priorities clearly in dealing with the North Korea issue: It has to focus everything on the nuclear issue while handling democracy or human rights as secondary ones."
Moon, a distinguished professor at Yonsei University, noted the softened stance of Kim Yong-chol, the chief of the Worker's Party of Korea's United Front Department, who visited the South from Sunday to Tuesday to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and hold talks with President Moon and other Seoul officials.
"North Korean officials used to refuse any talks about denuclearization, but this time Kim did not do so. It showed some possibility (for the North to have related dialogue)," he said.
But he added the future of the issue depends on how Pyongyang will react to the Seoul-Washington joint military exercises which were delayed until after the Games but may take place in early April.
In a separate seminar hosted by the National Committee on North Korea later in the day, Moon said the suspended drills were unlikely to be delayed again or cancelled. "But if the U.S. and North Korea hold talks before their resumption, there can be some compromises. I personally hope such talks can take place before the military exercises resume."
The adviser said President Moon is taking "maximum prudence" to mediate the Washington-Pyongyang talks over denuclearization.
He was positive about such talks taking place in near future. "If Seoul and Washington can make a joint roadmap providing Pyongyang with reasonable incentives in return for abandoning its nuclear program, I think they can persuade the North," he said.
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