South Korean President Moon Jae-In says he would send a special envoy to negotiate with North Korea if the rogue regime stops provoking the world community with ballistic missile and nuclear tests.
Moon, a liberal, said in a nationally televised address Thursday local time that he prefers diplomacy over nuclear action. He said the U.S. assured him it won’t take military action against North Korea without South Korea’s consent.
“I say this with confidence that there will be no war on the Korean Peninsula ever again,” Moon said in a press conference marking his first 100 days in office. “The United States and President Donald Trump too have agreed to discuss any options it may take with South Korea regardless of what kind of options it takes.”
In a sign of his preference for diplomacy, Moon, early in his tenure as president, suspended the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system known as THAAD. He later changed course after North Korea’s escalating missile tests and the U.S. and South Korea are now moving forward with deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula.
President Trump last week threatened to impose “fire and fury” on North Korea’s regime.
U.S military and diplomatic officials have since sought to bring down the tension, stressing the Trump administration would only act militarily if North Korea first initiated a strike on America or its allies.
