Moon says S.Korea-US alliance key to recent steps to denuclearize peninsula

June 29, 2018 - 11:35 AM
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia June 21, 2018. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)

SEOUL — South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said on Friday that recent steps toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula were only possible due to the deterrent provided by the US-South Korea alliance, and preparations made in tandem to engage North Korea diplomatically.

“The successful summits, between the two Koreas and between North Korea and United States, steps toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and permanent peace were only possible with the support of the deterrent and the preparatory stance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” Moon said.

Moon’s comment was made in a letter sent to commemorate the opening ceremony of the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea’s new headquarters building at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys south of Seoul. —Reporting by Christine Kim; Writing by Joyce Lee; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore