SEOUL – Lee: Trump clearly seeks dialogue with North Korea

SEOUL, September 18 /ATSH-AFP/ – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said today that US president Donald Trump clearly wants to resume dialogue with North Korea and that Seoul is trying to create the conditions for a new meeting between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Trump has said he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

The American president has also said it is important to have good relations with Kim, also mentioning Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal.

Lee said it is «clear» that Trump wants dialogue and that he too is urging the American president to engage in talks.

According to him, South Korea is developing preliminary coordination efforts to facilitate a possible US–North Korea dialogue.

The South Korean president admitted that a new meeting between Trump and Kim remains difficult, but according to him it is not impossible.

He stressed that Seoul must make every effort to turn this opportunity into a real diplomatic process.

Meanwhile, the annual US–South Korea military drills, «Ulchi Freedom Shield», were held last month in a more limited format, after President Trump’s request to scale them down.

This has raised concerns in Seoul that South Korea may have a more limited role in future negotiations over Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

Lee also spoke about the economic negotiations with the US, where South Korea has taken on $350 billion in investments in the United States of America.

He described the talks as complex and difficult, saying some of the proposed conditions were hard for Seoul to accept.

Regarding the war in Iran, Lee declared clearly that South Korea will not send troops or military equipment to intervene in the conflict.

«Seoul will undertake only the minimal activities necessary for the protection of South Korean merchant ships and oil supply routes», Lee said.

The statement came after reports that Seoul was considering a possible deployment in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

President Lee reiterated that South Korea will continue to respect the principle of non-engagement and non-military interference in the war.

The US has about 28,500 troops deployed in South Korea to support the country’s defense against North Korea.

Meanwhile, Trump’s repeated criticisms of traditional American alliances have fueled discussions about the future of Washington’s commitments to security in East Asia.