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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 5 March 2019

Seoul calls for three-way talks after Trump-Kim collapse

By KIM TONG-HYUNG While Moon’s spokesman
Associated Press said South Korea will see if
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — there’s any possible way to
South Korea has proposed restart the projects under
semiofficial three-way talks the “framework” of current
with the United States and U.N. and U.S. sanctions, ex-
North Korea as it struggles perts say that would be im-
to put nuclear diplomacy possible.
back on track after the col- The U.N. Security Council
lapse of a summit between has so far restricted sanc-
President Donald Trump tions exemptions to non-
and North Korean leader commercial infrastructure
Kim Jong Un. projects and would likely
The proposal for the talks need to pass an entirely
came during a National new resolution on North
Security Council meeting Korea for inter-Korean eco-
on Monday led by South nomic activities to resume,
Korean President Moon which is difficult to imag-
Jae-in, who said it was vated tensions in 2017 over North Korea to narrow their before the South shut them ine until Kim takes deeper
Seoul’s “outmost priority” to steps toward completely
prevent nuclear negotia- South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, presides over a meeting of the National Security and verifiably relinquishing
tions between the U.S. and Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 4, 2019. his nuclear weapons, said
North Korea from derailing. Associated Press Lim Soo-ho, an analyst at
At the meeting in Seoul’s North Korea’s missile and differences. down during past periods the Seoul-based Institute
presidential palace, For- nuclear tests and Trump’s Moon said South Korea will of tensions. for National Security.q
eign Minister Kang Kyung- threats to bring “fire and continue to push ahead
wha said the proposed fury” on the North. Some with engagement with
talks, which could include experts say the break- North Korea within the
civilian experts from the U.S. down of the Trump-Kim boundaries of U.S.-led inter-
and South Korea, would talks in Vietnam raised fur- national sanctions against
help settle differences over ther doubts about Moon’s the North.
how much sanctions relief claim that Kim is genuinely Moon has prioritized sta-
Washington should provide interested in dealing away bilizing bilateral relations
North Korea in exchange his nuclear weapons and with North Korea amid the
for nuclear disarmament about Moon’s role as me- larger nuclear negotia-
steps. diator. tions between the U.S. and
Last week’s meeting be- “We hope that both coun- North Korea, saying inter-
tween Trump and Kim in tries will continue their dia- Korean reconciliation will
Vietnam broke down over logue and that their lead- drive progress in nuclear
what the Americans said ers meet again quickly to talks. But his call for partial
were North Korea’s exces- reach an agreement that sanctions relief to encour-
sive demands for sanctions was held off this time,” age nuclear disarmament
relief in exchange for a lim- Moon said at Monday’s steps by North Korea has
ited offer to shut down its meeting, which was also caused disagreements
aging main nuclear com- attended by the prime min- with Washington, which
plex in Yongbyon. North ister, spy chief and ministers does not want to give up
Korea reportedly has other of defense and inter-Kore- what it sees as its main le-
sites producing weapons- an affairs. verage with the North.
grade uranium hidden “In the process, our role has Moon’s government plans
around the country. become important once to hold discussions with the
Kang said the core issue again,” Moon said. “While United States over the pos-
is determining what disar- I believe the United States- sibility of restarting opera-
mament steps North Korea North Korea negotiations tions at a joint Korean fac-
could be persuaded to will eventually reach an tory park in the North Kore-
take in exchange for sanc- agreement, it’s never desir- an border town of Kaesong
tions relief. able for a vacuum in dia- and tours by South Koreans
Moon lobbied hard for the logue or stalemate to be to the North’s Diamond
revival of nuclear diploma- prolonged,” he said, urging Mountain resort. These proj-
cy between the U.S. and South Korean officials to ects provided much-need-
North Korea following ele- find ways for the U.S. and ed cash to North Korea