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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 16 april 2019

South Korean president calls for 4th summit with Kim Jong Un

By KIM TONG-HYUNG optimism that international
Associated Press sanctions could end and
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) allow such projects.
— South Korean President But Moon’s call for partial
Moon Jae-in said Mon- sanctions relief to create
day he’s ready for a fourth space for the inter-Korean
summit with North Korean projects and induce nucle-
leader Kim Jong Un to help ar disarmament steps by
salvage faltering nuclear North Korea has led to a
negotiations between disagreement with Wash-
the North and the United ington, which sees eco-
States. nomic pressure as its main
Moon’s comments came leverage with Pyongyang.
after Kim issued his harsh- In a speech delivered to
est criticism yet of South North Korea’s rubber-stamp
Korea’s diplomatic role last parliament on Friday, Kim
week, accusing Seoul of said he is open to a third
acting like an “overstep- summit with Trump but set
ping mediator” and de- an end-of-year deadline
manding that it diverge for Washington to offer mu-
from Washington to sup- tually acceptable terms for
port the North’s position an agreement.
more strongly. Kim blamed the collapse
Moon met Kim three times of the second summit with
last year and also brokered Trump on what he de-
nuclear talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his aids at the presidential Blue scribed as Washington’s
North Korea and the U.S. House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 15, 2019. unilateral demands. He
following tensions created Associated Press said the North’s economy
by the North’s nuclear and wedge between Washing- and Trump last June, when joint search for war remains would prevail despite the
missile tests and the ex- ton and Seoul by appeal- they agreed to a vague at the countries’ border. heavy U.S.-led sanctions
change of war threats by ing to Moon’s enthusiasm statement about a nucle- The breakdown of the imposed over its nuclear
Kim and President Donald for engagement. ar-free Korean Peninsula Trump-Kim meeting in weapons program and
Trump. “Whenever North Korea is without describing how or February raised doubts that he wouldn’t “obsess
But there are fears in Seoul ready, we hope that the when it would occur. about Moon’s claim that over summitry with the Unit-
that the hopeful develop- South and North could sit Trump and Kim met again Kim could be persuaded ed States out of thirst for
ments of 2018 could be down together and hold in Vietnam in February, but to deal away his nuclear sanctions relief.”
undone because of the concrete and practical the summit collapsed over weapons for economic On South Korea, Kim said
mismatched demands be- discussions on ways to what the Americans saw as and security benefits and Seoul “should not act as
tween Washington and achieve progress that goes excessive North Korean de- also about Seoul’s role an ‘overstepping media-
Pyongyang over sanc- beyond what was accom- mands for sanctions relief in as a diplomatic catalyst, tor’ or a ‘facilitator’ and
tions relief and disarma- plished in the two summits exchange for limited disar- which became less cru- should rather get its mind
ment, which have derailed between North Korea and mament steps. cial once Washington and straight as a member of the
a high-stakes Trump-Kim the United States,” Moon Moon has said it is Seoul’s Pyongyang established di- (Korean) nation and boldly
meeting and prolonged a said in a meeting with se- “outmost priority” to pre- rect talks. North Korea had speak up for the interest of
stalemate in negotiations. nior aides. vent nuclear negotiations been urging the South to the nation.”
It’s difficult for Moon to Moon met with Trump last between the U.S. and North break away from Washing- Kim also accused South
make further progress on week in Washington, where Korea from derailing, and ton and proceed with inter- Korea of deferring to the
inter-Korean engagement they agreed on the impor- there is speculation that he Korean economic projects “anachronistic arrogance
without some level of sanc- tance of nuclear talks with will soon announce a plan that are currently held and hostile policy” of the
tions relief, which Wash- North Korea but did not an- to send a special envoy to back by sanctions. United States and berated
ington says won’t come nounce a specific plan to Pyongyang, North Korea’s In their third summit last the ongoing military exer-
until unless Kim commits to get the stalemated nego- capital, in an effort to res- September, Moon and Kim cises between the allies.
verifiably relinquishing his tiations back on track. cue the talks. North Korea agreed to reconnect the Although they described
nuclear facilities, weapons Moon spent the past year in recent weeks has been Koreas’ railways and roads, the exercises as defen-
and missiles. Kim has shown making aggressive efforts registering displeasure with normalize operations at a sive in nature, the United
no signs that he’s willing to to stabilize South Korea’s Seoul, withdrawing its entire jointly run factory park in States and South Korea
give away an arsenal he hard-won detente with staff from a front-line liaison the North Korean border have downsized the drills
may see as his strongest North Korea and improve office with South Korea be- town of Kaesong and re- to create a space for di-
guarantee of survival, and bilateral relations. He also fore sending some of them start South Korean tours to plomacy with North Korea,
Pyongyang apparently lobbied hard to set up the back, and refusing to show the North’s scenic Diamond which sees them as inva-
has been trying to drive a first summit between Kim up for a previously planned Mountain resort, voicing sion rehearsals.q