JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trump toasts South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In near First Lady Melania Trump during a state dinner at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on November 7, 2017.
South Korean government officials were reportedly anxious about Trump’s remarks, fearful that he could increase tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea, local media said last week.
Earlier in the day, Trump and his team attempted a trip to the heavily fortified demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea, according to NBC News. But the trip was cancelled due to bad weather.
Trump, on Tuesday, signaled he was ready to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while simultaneously emphasizing the power of the U.S. military. “It really makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal,” he said at a news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
The Republican also added he was prepared to do whatever is necessary “to prevent the North Korean dictator from threatening lives,” noting that Washington had three aircraft carriers and a submarine in the Pacific. “We have many things happening that we hope, we hope — in fact, I’ll go a step further — we hope to God we never have to use,” he said on Tuesday.
Some in South Korea fear that a major provocation from Kim’s regime could result in Washington staging unilateral military operations. Moon, who advocates engagement with Pyongyang instead of the hard-line stance shared by Tokyo and Washington, has warned that “no one should be allowed to decide on a military action on the Korean Peninsula without South Korean agreement.”
Analysts had warned it was essential for both Trump and Moon to present a united front on tackling the North. The two allies may share fundamental differences on strategies, but they remain on the same page when it comes to the underlying goals of denuclearization and standing up to Kim’s threats.
Trump has previously criticized Moon for the latter’s outreach to Pyongyang, but on Tuesday he praised the South Korean leader for “great cooperation.”
