Politics

Seoul willing to meeting Pyongyang reps ‘anytime, anywhere’

Seoul, Jan 11 (efe-epa).- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that his government is willing to meet with North Korean representatives “anytime, anywhere” to rekindle ties and the disarmament process at a time in which bilateral dialog remains frozen.

Moon said in his New Year’s speech that his government is working to achieve a “great transition” in the stalled peace process and denuclearization, and that “the key driving force of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula is dialog and win-win cooperation.”

“Our will to meet anytime, anywhere, even in a non-face-to-face formula, remains unchanged,” he added.

Moon also assured that his government will work to strengthen its alliance with Washington alongside the imminent arrival to the White House of president-elect Joe Biden.

Since the failure of the 2019 Hanoi denuclearization summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and outgoing US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang has hardened its tone with Washington’s ally Seoul.

The pandemic, which has led North Korea to seal its borders to prevent the entry of Covid-19 to its territory, has contributed to further isolate the regime, which has even rejected cooperation offered by the South Korean government to combat the virus.

North Korea is also holding its single-party congress, during which Kim has urged the incoming Biden government to propose new alternatives to resume dialog on denuclearization, warning that it is preparing new weapons tests.

The North Korean leader did not close the door completely to dialog with Seoul, but urged the South to abandon its joint military exercises with the US if it intends to re-establish ties. EFE-EPA

asb/tw

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