South Korea, US agree to pressure North Korea; say Pyongyang needs sanctions to change

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump on Monday stressed the need for maximum pressure on North Korea to induce it to change its behaviour and choose the “right path”. [caption id=“attachment_3777121” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] “President Moon and President Trump shared concerns over North Korea’s evolving nuclear capabilities, and agreed their countries must put maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea under cooperation with the international community to have North Korea give up its nuclear and missile programmes, and choose the right path,” presidential office spokesman Park Soo-hyun said of a telephone conversation between the two leaders. The talks came after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a new sanctions resolution against Pyongyang, condemning the regime’s launch of claimed intercontinental ballistic missiles on 4 July and 28 July, reports Yonhap News Agency. Resolution 2371, bans North Korea’s exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. “Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 UN vote on North Korea sanctions,” Trump tweeted. Moon hailed the UNSC resolution, noting it has also been supported and endorsed by China and Russia, both close allies of Pyongyang. “President Moon said he hoped the new resolution will be a chance to induce a change in North Korea’s behaviour,” Park told a press briefing. In a released statement, the White House said the two leaders affirmed that “North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world.” “The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well,” it added. During their 56-minute conversation, Trump also expressed interest in Seoul’s recent offer for Pyongyang to hold inter-Korean dialogue, according to Park. The phone call ended with Moon’s renewed invitation for the US leader to visit South Korea before the year’s end or during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games to be held here in February 2018.