Moon calls for 'bold' and 'creative' steps to denuclearize N. Korea

SEOUL, April 19 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in highlighted the need for bold imaginations and creative solutions to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons Thursday, hours after his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump left open the possibility of walking out of his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if it seems unfruitful.

"When we look back, just a few months ago, the shadow of war glimmered on the Korean Peninsula as military tensions here escalated extremely," the president said while meeting with the top executives of 48 local news outlets at his office Cheong Wa Dae.

"Even when the dialogue between the South and the North began due to North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the so-called April crisis theory that said South-North relations would again go bankrupt once the Olympics were over and the joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises resumed in April continued to keep the people worried," Moon said, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.

"Perhaps the situation could have gone in such a direction. But our determination and efforts to create a situation that we want instead of leaving our fate to changes in the situation turned the tide," he added.

The president is set to meet with the North Korean leader next Friday.

Thursday's session marked the third of its kind where Moon sought the advice of opinion leaders for his upcoming summit with Kim. Earlier meetings involved former government officials, elders and experts.

Moon insisted that what made the current rapprochement with the reclusive North possible were bold imaginations and ideas.

"Many people have called my Berlin declaration in July last year a dream, but that dream is now becoming reality. It was a bold imagination and strategy that turned the tide and created today's conditions," he told the meeting, referring to his peace initiative announced during his trip to Germany for the Group of 20 summit.

The president insisted that the success of his upcoming summit with Kim, as well as that of the Trump-Kim meeting, will again require bold ideas.

"We may speak of successful dialogue only when the first-ever North Korea-U.S. summit is also held successfully, not just the South-North Korea summit," he said. "We will need bold imagination and creative solutions to make the two summits successful and not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Earlier, the U.S. president said his country will continue to put "maximum pressure" on the North until the country denuclearizes, saying he will not make the mistakes of previous U.S. administrations.

He also said he will "respectfully leave the meeting" with Kim if the meeting is not fruitful.

Trump earlier said he will likely meet Kim in May or early June.

Moon said Seoul and Washington are working perfectly together for the success of their upcoming summits with the North Korean leader but said it is too early to make any promises for any success.

"As I have mentioned many times, President Trump's absolute support for dialogue on denuclearization has been a critical force in creating the dramatic change in conditions. But to speak objectively, we are only stepping over the threshold of dialogue now. It is too early to boast of the success of dialogue," he said.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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