Seoul urges U.S., North Korea to take courageous steps on nuclear talks

President, Moon Jae-In of South Korea has called on the U.S. and North Korea to make “courageous decisions’’ in their faltering negotiations on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.

“North Korea must tackle nuclear disarmament, and the U.S. must create a favourable environment with associated measures,” Moon said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

South Korea wants to take over the role of intermediary in talks between the U.S. and North Korea, but the two countries must first engage in more active communication with each other, Moon said.

The South Korean leader’s comments come one week before his third summit with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, due to take place on September 18-20 in Pyongyang.

Further developments in the relationship between North and South Korea depend heavily on progress in talks between the U.S. and North Korea.

Moon said the upcoming meeting with Kim must achieve another “big step’’ towards a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.

On Monday, White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said the U.S. and North Korea are preparing for a second summit between, President Donald Trump and Kim.
She did not offer further details.

Kim and Trump met in Singapore on June 12 for their first summit.

They agreed in principle to the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, but the International Atomic Energy Agency said there have been no indications that North Korea has curbed its nuclear programme in the months since the summit.