South Korea: Unification minister urges North Korea not to miss chance for talks with Trump

Seoul, March 16
South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young called on North Korea on Monday not to miss an opportunity to resume dialogue with the United States after President Donald Trump expressed interest in meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The government's position on a North Korea-US summit does not depend on how likely it is, but it believes the meeting must take place," Chung told reporters.

"I hope North Korea will not miss the opportunity (for talks with Trump) created by Trump's expression of interest," the minister noted.

Chung's remarks came after Trump reiterated his interest in meeting Kim again, during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in Washington last Friday.

"He also asked for my views, saying that he is wondering if Chairman Kim wants dialogue with the US and President Trump," the prime minister said, quoting Trump as saying, "Meeting (Kim) is something good."

Trump is scheduled to visit China from late March to early April for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Speculations have grown that Trump may seek to resume summit talks with Kim on the occasion of the visit.

The unification minister portrayed a resumption of North Korea-US summit talks as "necessary" and "mutually beneficial" to the two countries at a time when Pyongyang seeks the rights to development and national security, while Washington needs to manage the security situation on the Korean Peninsula stably, Yonhap news agency reported.

It would also be essential for South Korea's present and future, he added.

North Korea has shown interest in principle in resuming talks with the US, with leader Kim saying during last month's party congress that the country has no reason not to get along with Washington. He said, however, the US must first drop its hostile policy toward the regime.

Chung said Trump appears to have a "strong willingness" to meet Kim, adding that his remarks to the prime minister may have reflected a question about whether Kim is also interested in meeting him, after Trump somewhat "lost face" when he failed to meet Kim during his trip to South Korea last year on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

But the minister said as far as he was aware, there had been no specific contact between Pyongyang and Washington regarding a resumption of dialogue.