South Korean leader observes missile test

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA » South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday observed the test-firing of a new midrange missile being developed to counter North Korean threats, saying Seoul must be able to militarily “dominate” the North for future engagement to work.

It’s a twist on the typical pattern on the Korean Peninsula, where North Korean state media frequently issue reports about leader Kim Jong Un observing missile tests that it says are needed to combat South Korean and U.S. hostility.

Moon, a liberal who took office in May after a decade of conservative rule in South Korea, supports engagement with North Korea, but was quoted after the launch as saying that “dialogue is only possible when we have a strong military, and engagement policies are only possible when we have the security capability to dominate North Korea.”

“Our people will feel proud and safe after seeing that our missile capability doesn’t trail North Korea’s,” Moon said, according to his spokesman, Park Soo-hyun.