Japan and North Korea should talk, South
Korea's Moon says
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[May 08, 2018]
By Kaori Kaneko
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and North Korea
should begin talks to normalize relations between the two countries and
contribute to peace and stability in the region, South Korean President
Moon Jae-in told a Japanese newspaper on Tuesday.
"In particular, I think dialogue between Japan and North Korea should be
resumed," Moon said in the interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun.
"If Japan-North Korea relations are normalized, that would greatly
contribute to peace and security in Northeast Asia beyond the Korean
peninsula," he said in written answers to questions submitted by the
newspaper.
At Moon's summit last month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, both
sides agreed to work toward denuclearization. Kim said during that
meeting he was "ready to have a dialogue with Japan anytime", Moon told
the newspaper.
Tokyo has called Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs the
toughest security threat facing Japan since World War Two.
"There is no change to our stance that we aim to resolve the abduction
issue and end North Korea's nuclear and missile programs before we
attempt to normalize diplomatic relations with Pyongyang," an official
at Japan's foreign ministry said.

Moon's interview was conducted ahead of a summit on Wednesday between
Moon, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
in Tokyo.
North Korea was expected to be high on the agenda but a Chinese diplomat
said last week the talks were about regional cooperation and not focused
on the Korean peninsula.
Nevertheless, months of frosty relations between Beijing and Pyongyang
appear to have thawed since Kim's secretive visit to Beijing in March,
where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Analysts said Kim's meeting with Xi strengthened North Korea's
negotiating position by aligning the two nations ahead of Kim's summit
with U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks.
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in attends a meeting with North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Peace House at the truce village of
Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas,
South Korea, April 27, 2018. Korea Summit Press Pool/Pool via
Reuters

A high-ranking North Korean official flew to the Chinese city of
Dalian on Monday, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said on Tuesday,
citing multiple anonymous sources. The report did not identify the
official.
In the interview, Moon said Kim's desire for "complete
denuclearization" laid the groundwork for the future summit between
the United States and North Korea, although it remained to be seen
if concrete steps were agreed at the talks.
Trump has said he will maintain sanctions and pressure on the North
and "not repeat the mistakes of past administrations", and added
that his tough stance had led to the breakthrough.
Moon said Kim was "a very open and practical person" and both
leaders had a mutual goal for the denuclearization of the Korean
peninsula.
"From now on, based on our deep mutual trust, we'll make bold steps
toward peace and prosperity, and unification," Moon said.
(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; additional reporting by Ju-min Park in
SEOUL; Editing by Darren Schuettler)
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