Seoul to Bring Pyongyang to Dialogue Over Denuclearization

South Korean President Moon Jae-in stated that the ultimate goal of his government is to bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its denuclearization.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – South Korea’s new government intends to bring North Korea to dialogue in addition to the tightened restrictions over Pyongyang's nuclear program, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday.

UN, Western, Japanese and South Korean sanctions against Pyongyang came in the light of North Korea's numerous ballistic and missile launches that violated UN Security Council resolutions. Solely over the past month, North Korea carried out missile launches on May 15, 21 and most recently, on Monday.

"But the ultimate goal of our sanctions and pressure is to bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its denuclearization… And so, I and my new government plan to add dialogue to existing sanctions and pressure," Moon said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

Moon called for close cooperation with the international community to exert pressure on Pyongyang in response to its provocations.

During the presidential election campaign, Moon slammed North Korea’s provocations and expressed support the prospect of engaging in reconciliation dialogue with Pyongyang. Moon officially assumed office on May 10.

The negotiations on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula among Russian, Chinese, South Korean, North Korean, US and Japanese diplomats started in August 2003 and, as result, Pyongyang froze its nuclear program. However, the talks deadlocked in 2008 over the issue of monitoring of the North Korean nuclear activity.