Let's start with that enticing offer from President Moon Jae-in.
He says it would be meaningful if North Korean leader Kim Jong-un joined a multilateral summit that'll be hosted by South Korea in November.
The South Korean leader also relayed a message to Japan,.. saying the flare up in tensions between Seoul and Tokyo should be dealt with diplomatically.
Shin Se-min reports.
South Korea's presidential office has expressed its openness to possibly inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the Korea-ASEAN special summit that will be held in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan in November.
In a written interview with the Bangkok Post ahead of his week-long trip to three Southeast Asian nations from Sunday, President Moon said Kim's attendance "would be very meaningful" for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia.
But he added that any decision on the matter would depend on progress made in the Korean peace process and the nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S.
What matters most he said,... is for the regime to "actually put denuclearization into concrete action."
He suggested ASEAN play a key role in urging North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program and to stand together through economic cooperation.
That idea of inviting Kim Jong-un to South Korea was first raised last year by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and was quickly endorsed by a number of regional leaders.
"When North Korea sincerely follows through on denuclearization measures, I hope to involve the North in ASEAN-related meetings and enhance bilateral exchanges with the regime."
Touching on the sudden uptick in Seoul-Tokyo tensions,... President Moon said he's ready to "embrace and cooperate with Japan" should it decide to return to the negotiating table.
He highlighted how Japan's trade measures not only damage South Korea, but the global economy as a whole.
He said ASEAN members should do what they can to "steer Japan to the path of dialogue and diplomatic consultation."
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.
