President Moon Jae-in speaks in an interview with The Washington Post, at Cheong Wa Dae on June 19. (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Sohn JiAe

President Moon Jae-in stressed that, “President Trump and I have a common goal. That is the complete dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

President Moon was speaking in an interview with The Washington Post at Cheong Wa Dae on June 19. In the interview, published on June 20, President Moon said, “In the process of working toward that common goal, the friendship and trust between the two of us will be very important. I hope we will be able to show the world that the collaboration between our two countries is strong and will continue to grow stronger.”

“What Korea and the U.S. both ultimately seek to achieve is the dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program,” the president emphasized. “I believe that during my upcoming summit meeting in the U.S. I will be able to discuss a two-phased approach to the North Korean nuclear weapons issue, the first being a freeze and the second being complete dismantlement.”

He went on to say that, “As long as North Korea continues its provocations, I believe we will have no choice but to apply additional and strong pressure. We will continue to employ all possible means -- sanctions, pressure, as well as dialogue -- to draw North Korea to the negotiating table for denuclearization.”

On June 20, The Washington Post publishes an interview with President Moon Jae-in under the title ‘South Korea’s new president: Trump and I have a common goal.’ (The Washington Post)

When asked if he wanted to conduct dialogue with the North, President Moon replied, “It must be in close consultation with the U.S. Regarding exactly how, we do not have a detailed way forward. It must be in close consultation with the U.S. I hope to have frank and open discussions with President Trump on this issue.”

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