‘Do more on North’s nuke’

Tycoon backs charges against Park

SEOUL, June 22, (Agencies): South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday China should do more to rein in North Korea’s nuclear program and he would call on President Xi Jinping to ‘lift all measures’ against South Korean companies taken in retaliation against Seoul’s decision to host a US anti-missile defence system.

In an interview with Reuters ahead of his trip to Washington next week for a summit with US President Donald Trump, Moon said ‘strong’ sanctions should be imposed if North Korea tests an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or conducts a sixth nuclear test.

North Korea will acquire the technology to deploy a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of hitting the mainland United States “in the not too distant future,” Moon said.

“I believe China is making efforts to stop North Korea from making additional provocations, yet there are no tangible results as of yet,” Moon told Reuters at the sprawling Blue House presidential compound.

“China is North Korea’s only ally and China is the country that provides the most economic assistance to North Korea,” Moon said. “Without the assistance of China, sanctions won’t be effective at all.”

His comments echoed that of Trump’s who said in tweet earlier this week China’s efforts to use its leverage with Pyongyang had failed.

Moon was elected in May pledging to take a more moderate approach to the North and engage the reclusive country in dialogue, in addition to pressure and sanctions to impede its defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

South Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in response to the growing missile threat from North Korea.

that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency.”

His language was echoed by South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who said in an interview ahead of a White House visit next week that North Korea bears responsifor

Trump

Warmbier

But the move has angered China, which says the system’s powerful radar will look deep into its territory and undermine regional security. China has pressured South Korean businesses via boycotts and bans, such as ending Chinese group tours to South Korea and closing most of South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group’s Lotte Mart retail stores in China.

Moon said he hopes to hold talks with Xi at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany next month, and will urge him to take steps to ease measures against South Korean companies.

SEOUL:

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A top South Korean business tycoon on Thursday in court backed prosecutors allegations that the ousted South Korean president Park Geun-Hye solicited bribes from businesses in return for policy favours.

Chey Tae-Won, chairman of SK, the country’s second largest conglomerate after Samsung, became the first business mogul who took the stand at what is being dubbed in South Korea “the trial of the century”.

Chey was one of seven tycoons that Park held confidential meetings with in February last year.

She denies the allegations, arguing companies made voluntary donations to two foundations she said were aimed to help develop sports and culture.

Chey admitted in court that he had sought government approval for a merger and acquisition project, a license for duty free shop and the early release of his brother who was in jail for embezzlement when he met Park near the presidential Blue House.

One of Park’s top aides, Ahn Jong-Beom, now arrested, asked SK to donate an additional 8.9 billion won ($7.8 million) to one of two foundations allegedly controlled by Choi Soon-Sil, a confidante of the impeached ex-president.

bility for the student’s death.

“I believe we must now have the perception that North Korea is an irrational regime,” Moon told CBS television’s “This Morning.”

Moon, a centre-left politician who was sworn in last month after a landslide election win, favours engagement with the North, rather than the hardline stance taken by his ousted conservative predecessor Park Geun-Hye.

Washington has also stepped up its muscle-flexing in the region, flying two B-1 bombers over the Korean peninsula Tuesday in a planned training mission with Japan and South Korea as its latest show of force. (AFP)

‘Starve North’ call retracted:

A Japanese governor has retracted his call