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Seoul, Washington agree on ‘stronger, more practical’ pressure on Pyongyang
By Choi He-sukPublished : Sept. 17, 2017 - 17:39
Seoul and Washington will seek “stronger, and more practical” measures against North Korea, South Korea’s presidential office said Sunday.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agreed to cooperate more closely and to work with the international community to further raise the pressure on Pyongyang.
“(Moon and Trump) agreed to bring stronger and more effective sanctions and pressure to make the North Korean regime realize that provocations will bring tougher diplomatic isolation, and economic pressure that will (put the regime) on the path to ruin,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.
The conservation came two days after North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch, in which the projectile again flew over Japan’s airspace. The missile is said to have flown some 3,700 kilometers, further than the distance between North Korea and Guam, which Pyongyang threatened on Aug. 9.
Park added that the two leaders also agreed to collaborate in ensuring that international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang are executed thoroughly.
The UN Security Council on Sept. 12 adopted a new resolution that would reduce North Korea’s fuel supply. Although North Korea’s supply of refined petroleum products would be significantly reduced, Seoul and Washington had hoped for a complete fuel embargo. The plan, however, was opposed by China and Russia, Pyongyang’s two main fuel suppliers.
Moon also stressed the need to strengthen South Korea’s military capabilities as well as those of the South Korea-US alliance.
“Our own deterrence and defense capabilities, as well as the capabilities of the South Korea-US alliance must continuously be strengthened to respond to North Korean provocations, and to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon was quoted as saying by Park.
Park also said that Moon thanked Trump for his cooperation and interest in revising the missile guidelines, and reinforcing Seoul’s arsenal of high tech weaponry.
The missile guidelines Seoul and Washington agreed to in the 1960s had imposed limits on the range and payload of South Korean missiles. On Sept. 5, Trump gave his consent on lifting the payload limit in a telephone conversation. The range limit -- currently at 800 kilometers -- remains unchanged. According to reports, Trump has mentioned the possibility of South Korea purchasing more arms from the US during all three of their telephone conversations.
Moon and Trump also agreed to meet on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York to further discuss related issues, Park said.
Moon is set to head to New York on Monday to attend the UN meeting, where North Korea is expected to be one of the key issues. The South Korean president is set to attend a trilateral summit with Trump, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.
The three leaders had met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on July 6.
In addition to the three-way meeting, Seoul and Washington are also working on arranging a separate summit meeting.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
