South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Saturday that a “consensus” is starting to build between international negotiators that North Korea must engage in talks with the United States in the near future.
Moon told reporters he hopes the warming of tensions between the two countries will also lead to better relations between the United States and North Korea, The Associated Press reported.
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“A consensus is starting to build that there’s also a need for talks between the United States and North Korea,” Moon told reporters at a press conference.
But Moon declined to comment on whether he would accept an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, to attend a summit aimed at bettering North-South relations.
“Let’s not get too far ahead” on a summit, the president said, according to AP.
“We are hoping that the ongoing talks between the South and North will lead to talks between the United States and North Korea and eventually to [North Korean] denuclearization dialogue,” he added.
Relations between the North and South have eased in recent weeks as a result of the two countries’ cooperation in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, currently ongoing in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The North’s participation in the games has not yet led to talks between the U.S. and North Korea, with officials from the two countries, including Vice President Pence, sitting just feet away from each other without speaking at the opening ceremonies.