S. Korea leader willing to visit North, talk to U.S., China

SEOUL, South Korea — New South Korean President Moon Jae-in said as he took office Wednesday that he is open to visiting rival North Korea under the right conditions to talk about its aggressive pursuit of nuclear-tipped missiles.

Mr. Moon’s softer stance on North Korea could create friction with Washington, which has swung from threats of military action to hints of dialogue as it seeks to formulate a policy under President Donald Trump.

South Korea’s first liberal leader in a decade, Mr. Moon also said he’ll “sincerely negotiate” with the United States, Seoul’s top ally, and China, South Korea’s top trading partner, over the contentious deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense system in southern South Korea. The system has angered Beijing, which says its powerful radars allow Washington to spy on its own military operations.

In a speech at the National Assembly, Mr. Moon pledged to work for peace on the Korean Peninsula amid growing worry over the North’s expanding nuclear weapons and missiles program. “I will quickly move to solve the crisis in national security. I am willing to go anywhere for the peace of the Korean Peninsula — if needed, I will fly immediately to Washington. I will go to Beijing and I will go to Tokyo. If the conditions shape up, I will go to Pyongyang,” he said.

Mr. Moon assumed presidential duties early in the morning after the National Election Commission finished counting Tuesday’s votes and declared him winner of the special election necessitated by the ousting of conservative Park Geunhye, whose downfall and jailing on corruption charges is one of the most turbulent stretches in the nation’s recent political history.

Athis first news conference at the presidential Blue House, Mr. Moon introduced his nominees for prime minister, the country’s spy chief and his presidential chief of staff. The usual circumstances of the election and immediate transition into office meant He inherited several officials from Ms. Park’s government, and he has moved quickly to replace them.

The nomination of Lee Nak-yon as prime minister was seen as an attempt to get more support from the southwestern liberal stronghold where Mr. Lee had served as governor and lawmaker. Lawmakers must approve Mr. Lee for the country’s No. 2 job, which was largely a ceremonial post before Ms. Park’s removal made current Prime Minister Hwang Kyoahna government caretaker.

Mr. Moon’s pick for National Intelligence Service chief is Suh Hoon, a longtime intelligence official Mr. Moon said would be the right man to push reforms at NIS, which has long been accused of meddling in domestic politics. The NIS nomination does not require lawmakers’ approval, although Suh must first go through a National Assembly hearing.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Suh endorsed Mr. Moon’s call for a summit meeting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un, although saying it would be difficult for such a meeting to take place soon, considering the tension over the North’s nuclear program.