‘N. Korean leader ‘well aware’ of consequences of deception,’ Moon says

South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Washington on Tuesday (local time) quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as saying in their latest summit in Pyongyang that he was very well aware of consequences he and his country may face if caught deceiving the world about denuclearization. Revealing the North Korean leader’s undisclosed message in Pyongyang, President Moon urged Washington to trust Kim’s sincerity and take measures corresponding North Korea’s denuclearization steps, including an end-of-war declaration following a second U.S.-North Korea summit.

Speaking before a group of some 200 U.N. opinion leaders, President Moon said he believed that Kim Jong Un “is sincerely willing to give up nukes if the U.S. guarantees North Korea's security and supports its economic development.”

President Moon noted Kim said that he was “well aware that many people in the world still cannot trust North Korea or think (North Korea) is deceiving or trying to buy time, even after it took several steps to denuclearize. But what can (North Korea) gain from deceiving or buying time?”

As the U.S. and North Korea are officially seeking a second round of summit, President Moon also stressed the need to adopt a declaration ending the Korean War. In a keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, the South Korean president urged the international community to respond to the North’s new choice and efforts. “I am confident that North Korea will not stop its steps toward peace and prosperity if the international community opens a way for it.”


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