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| President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May during a meeting on the sidelines of an EU-ASEM summit in Brussels, Belgium, late Friday (KST). |
President Moon asks Merkel for Korean steel products to be exempted from EU safeguard measures
By Kim Yoo-chul
BRUSSELS, Belgium ― President Moon Jae-in asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to support Seoul's initiative to partially ease sanctions on North Korea to get the reclusive regime to speed up the dismantling of its nuclear capabilities.
"In order for the talks on North Korea's denuclearization to move forward and be sustained, providing some sanctions relief and humanitarian aid is needed. Within that context, I want the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to start discussing this matter," Moon told May at their summit held here late Friday (KST).
The U.K. is a permanent member of the UNSC. The President wants to get sanctions on Pyongyang eased by persuading the five permanent members of the UNSC to discuss a possible revision. Moon is using his nine-day trip to European capitals to build a consensus and persuade the permanent members to take a step that "will make a real difference" in the ongoing denuclearization talks.
Chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan didn't specify whether May accepted Moon's request. In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that France supported sanctions and pressure on North Korea until it was fully denuclearized, while not commenting on the idea of providing sanctions relief.
The U.K. requested the meeting with Moon, which was put on his schedule at the last minute before his arrival in Brussels to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Moon met May for a second time for 15 minutes, after his summit with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
"Exploring detailed and concrete steps to further advance the North's denuclearization were the main topic in the second meeting with Prime Minister May," Yoon said in a media briefing without elaborating further.
With the United States, the biggest stakeholder in the denuclearization talks, maintaining its firm stance on sanctions, Moon is hoping to win assistance from other UNSC members for his idea of partially easing them. China and Russia, North Korea's long-time allies are in favor of this.
The U.S., Russia, China, France and the U.K. are the five permanent members of the council.
In a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, following the second talks with May, Moon asked for South Korean steel products to be exempted from E.U. safeguard measures, which will place tariffs on Korean firms.
Other key issues discussed with Merkel were similar to those in his meetings with May and Macron, according to press pool reports.
Moon's trip to Europe was seen as relatively successful at home after Pope Francis accepted an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivered by the President, to visit Pyongyang. The pope responded he was waiting for an official invitation from the North and was "certainly ready" to accept the offer if he receives one.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Seoul will deliver the pope's message to North Korea in the coming weeks, and help Pyongyang and the Vatican narrow prerequisites and conditions to ensure the papal visit can take place.
