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PARIS – South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that the world powers should reassure South Korean Kim Jong Un that he had made the right decision by pledging to abandon his program. 39, nuclear weapons.
Moon, who has met Kim three times this year, is on a seven-day tour of Europe where he is expected to brief leaders in Paris, Rome and Brussels on fast-thawing relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Moon, who met French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, said the US Security Council should play an "active role" in helping to convince the lone North Korean leader to give up his nuclear weapons program altogether.
"They must be certain that they have made the right choice by agreeing to destroy their nuclear weapons," Moon said at a joint press conference in Paris, adding that France had "a major role in to play".
Before meeting with Macron, Moon told the French newspaper Le Figaro that Kim had "expressed his frustration at the persistent skepticism of the international community" during their talks.
Moon, who met with his North Korean counterpart in April, May and September, was instrumental in negotiating a historic summit in Singapore between US President Donald Trump and Kim in June.
Some analysts, however, believe that the South Korean leader Dovish has relied too much on the end of hostilities on the peninsula and has so far obtained only minimal concessions Pyongyang.
It also contradicts Washington, who is wary of the rapid pace of rapprochement between the two Koreas and believes that pressure must be maintained until Kim completely dismantles his weapons programs.
Macron also ruled out any further sanctions or concessions to North Korea, still fearing that Kim would not be ready to commit to an "irreversible and verifiable" agreement to give up its nuclear ambitions.
"We need progress to act in a more diplomatic way," said Macron, adding that France remained in favor of maintaining US sanctions and would plead in this regard before the United Nations Security Council, where it permanent seat.
Macron also ruled out the symbolic gesture of reinstating a French embassy in North Korea.
"It's good to keep a little weight to make sure there are changes," said Macron in a veiled warning about the danger of giving up too soon and too early in Pyongyang.
Moon defended his strategy during the interview with Le Figaro, saying that "despite his young age, Kim Jong Un showed sincerity, simplicity, calm and politeness" in their interviews.
The two Koreas announced Monday a new confidence-building measure allowing them to reconnect their railways and roads as early as next month.
Moon has to meet with French business leaders Tuesday during the final leg of his trip to France. The agenda should be dominated by trade, which has tripled in the last 20 years to reach 8.0 billion euros (9.2 billion dollars).
The head of South Korea, who is Catholic, is scheduled to meet the Pope on Thursday and will personally testify to Kim's desire to see the pontiff travel to North Korea.
He travels to Brussels on Friday and Copenhagen on Saturday.
