BREAKING NEWS

South Korea president says Trump's warning to North 'firm and specific'

By REUTERS

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 07:56

SEOUL/TOKYO - US President Donald Trump's speech to the United Nations, where he warned he would "totally destroy" North Korea if threatened, reinforced the need for Pyongyang to realize it must give up its nuclear weapons, South Korea said on Wednesday.

In a hard-edged speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "rocket man" for his repeated ballistic missile tests.

"We view the speech as portraying a firm and specific stance on the key issues regarding keeping peace and safety that the international community and the United Nations are faced with," the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a statement on Wednesday.

"It clearly showed how seriously the United States government views North Korea's nuclear program as the president spent an unusual amount of time discussing the issue," the presidential Blue House's statement said.

Trump's speech "reaffirmed that North Korea should be made to realize denuclearization is the only way to the future through utmost sanctions and pressure," it said.

Moon came to power in May on a platform of more engagement with North Korea. Since Pyongyang's sixth and largest nuclear test earlier on Sept. 3, however, Moon has said the time is not right for dialog.

He and Trump plan to meet in New York early on Wednesday US time, Moon's office said.

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