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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 24 OctOber 2018

SKorea approves NKorea deals amid conservative opposition

By HYUNG-JIN KIM ton to help arrange a series some of their front-line
Associated Press of high-level talks between guard posts.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — the countries, including Moon has previously
South Korea's liberal presi- a June summit between pushed to get parliamen-
dent on Tuesday formally Kim and President Donald tary approval on the April
confirmed his recent rec- Trump in Singapore. agreements. But conserva-
onciliation deals with North Since entering nuclear tive lawmakers objected,
Korean leader Kim Jong talks earlier this year, Kim saying the deals, which had
Un, triggering immediate has taken some steps like Kim's vague commitment
backlash from conserva- dismantling his nuclear to denuclearization, would
tives who called him "self- testing site and releasing only help the North buy
righteous" and "subservient" American detainees. The time and prefect weapons
to the North. United States responded systems in the face of inter-
Some experts say Presi- by suspending some of its national sanctions.
dent Moon Jae-in's move annual military drills with Tuesday's ratification fol-
is largely symbolic, but oth- South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a cabinet South Korea but is reluctant lows a contentious ruling
ers say it shows his deter- meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, to provide the North with by Moon's ministry of gov-
mination to carry out the Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. major political or economic ernment legislation that
September deals despite Associated Press rewards unless the country allowed him to skip parlia-
growing skepticism about takes significant disarma- mentary endorsement on
whether his engagement At the start of the Cabinet ment is weighted toward ment steps. the North Korea accords
policy will eventually lead meeting, Moon said in tele- its subservient North Korea Moon's September deals before ratifying them.
to North Korea's nuclear vised remarks that the rati- policy and is consistently with Kim were largely as- According to the minis-
disarmament. fication would help further being self-righteous and sociated with the broader try, Moon can unilaterally
Moon "ratified" the deals on improve ties with North Ko- lacking communication" agreements struck during ratify the deals because
Tuesday afternoon, hours rea and accelerate global with parliament, said party their first summit in April. they are largely meant to
after his Cabinet approved efforts to achieve the "com- spokesman Yoon Young- Under the latest deals, the implement the earlier April
them during a regular plete denuclearization of seok. two Koreas are to hold a accords that it says are in
meeting, his office said in a the Korean Peninsula." Moon, who took office last groundbreaking ceremony the process of getting par-
statement. The main conservative op- year, has said that greater on a project to reconnect liamentary approval. It also
The back-to-back endorse- position Liberty Korea Party reconciliation with North cross-border railways and cited a law clause that a
ments came with no prior criticized Moon's action, Korea would help resolve roads and push to resume president can ratify deals
parliamentary endorse- saying the deals would only the international standoff stalled economic coopera- with North Korea without
ment. In South Korea, a undermine national secu- over the North's nuclear am- tion projects. The two sides lawmakers' approval if
president is allowed by law rity and waste taxpayers' bitions. Moon has met with also agreed to disarm their they don't cause unspeci-
to ratify some agreements money. Kim three times this year, shared border village, es- fied "significant" financial
with North Korea without "We deplore the fact that and he shuttled between tablish buffer zones along burdens to the public or re-
consents from lawmakers. the Moon Jae-in govern- Pyongyang and Washing- the border and withdraw quire related legislation.q