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President Moon Jae-in speaks with US President Donald Trump during a phone call at the Blue House on Jan. 10. (provided by Blue House)
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US also pledges no military action will take place during inter-Korean talks
US President Donald Trump told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Jan. 10 that the US is “open” to dialogue if Pyongyang wishes and promised no military action while inter-Korean dialogue is taking place. “President Moon had a roughly 30-minute telephone conversation with President Trump this evening, in which he explained about the senior-level inter-Korean talks and they agreed to further strengthen South Korea-US cooperation,” Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan said. “The two leaders predicted a possibility that the inter-Korean dialogue could extend beyond North Korea’s participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics and lead naturally toward US-North Korea dialogue toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he added. In particular, Trump was reported as saying that the US was open to dialogue at a suitable time and under suitable conditions if North Korea wishes, and that he wanted to make it clearly known to North Korea that there would be no military action while inter-Korean dialogue is taking place. Trump also reportedly pledged to send Vice President Mike Pence to head a senior US delegation during the Pyeongchang Olympics. The conversation between Moon and Trump came six days after the two agreed on Jan. 4 not to hold joint South Korea-US military exercises during the Pyeongchang Games. By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
