WASHINGTON (AP) — South Korea’ s new leader, on a four-day visit to Washington, was aiming to reconcile differences with President…
WASHINGTON (AP) — South Korea’s new leader, on a four-day visit to Washington, was aiming to reconcile differences with President Donald Trump after advocating a softer approach to North Korea and delaying U. S. plans for the full deployment of a missile defense system in his country.
President Moon Jae-in was elected last month after his conservative predecessor — who, like Trump, took a hard line toward the North — was impeached in a bribery scandal.
Moon, set to arrive on Wednesday afternoon, has long favored engaging North Korea despite its rapidly advancing nuclear capability. Nevertheless, the North’s rapid tempo of missile tests has continued on Moon’s watch.
The talks between Moon and Trump come amid intense wrangling over North Korea.
China is pushing the United States to start negotiations with the North. That prospect appears to be receding as Trump grows frustrated over Beijing’s level of economic pressure on the North, its wayward ally.
North Korea shows no sign of wanting to restart talks on abandoning its nuclear weapons program, which may be only years away from the capability to strike the U. S. mainland.
Moon was hoping to forge a bond with Trump that most foreign leaders are emphasizing these days as they beat a path to the White House. Trump and Moon were to have dinner Thursday night and hold formal talks Friday.
On the face of it, there’s little in common between the brash American-tycoon-turned-populist-president, and a former human rights lawyer who received an elite education but opted for grassroots activism.
Moon’s past close association with Roh Moo-hyun, the South Korea’s leader who pursued a “sunshine” policy of diplomatic and economic outreach toward the North a decade ago, raises the possibilities of fresh U. S.-South Korean strains.
To symbolize his commitment to the U. S. alliance, Moon planned for first stop on Wednesday to honor Marines who helped evacuate to safety tens of thousands of Korean civilians after one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War. Moon’s own parents were among them.
