US, South Korea willing to reduce tensions by diplomatic steps towards N Korea
May 22, 2021
Washington DC [US], May 22 (Sputnik/ANI): The United States and South Korea are deeply concerned about the issue of the denuclearization of North Korea and willing to reduce tensions via diplomatic steps, US President Joe Biden said during a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
"My team consulted closely with President Moon's team throughout the process of our DPRK [North Korea policy] review, and we both are deeply concerned about the situation. Our two nations also share a willingness to engage diplomatically with the DPRK to take pragmatic steps that will reduce tensions, as we move toward our ultimate goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Biden said on Friday.
Moon shared his counterparts concern, adding that denuclearization is the most urgent task the two countries must undertake to ensure permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. The United States and South Korea worked closely during the Biden administration's review of the US policy toward North Korea, Moon noted.
Biden said he appointed Ambassador Sung Kim, a career diplomat with deep policy expertise, to serve as the United States' next special representative for North Korea as diplomatic work begin to achieve full denuclearization.
The dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as the inter-Korean dialogue, have been stalled since the failed February 2019 summit in Hanoi, during which the United States demanded more decisive steps from North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, while Pyongyang accused the United States of not responding to prior commitments. Further denuclearization talks in Sweden in October 2019 failed to break the deadlock.
Moon said Biden expressed support for the inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation.
Moreover, Biden said South Korea agreed to boost cooperation with the United States on the development of a cutting-edge 5G network. (Sputnik/ANI)
