South Korea wants fewer sanctions on North to boost nuclear talks

SOUTH KOREAN President Moon Jae-in may seek exemptions from North Korea’s sanctions to help restart nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington.

Mr Moon has previously made similar comments, despite fears that lifting sanctions could undermine efforts to eliminate North Korea’s attempt to produce a nuclear arsenal.

His latest overture came about two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent in the face of what he called “gangster-like” US pressure and sanctions.

Mr Moon said at a news conference yesterday that lifting sanctions would lead to greater interKorean cooperation would spur progress in stalemated nuclear diplomacy between North Korea and the US.

“If exceptions from UN sanctions are necessary for South-North cooperation, I think we can make efforts for that,” Mr Moon said. “I think there is a heightened need for South and North Korea to dial up their cooperation a little bit and promote North Korean-US talks, rather than just looking at North Korea-US talks.”

Mr Moon did not say on what specific sanction exemptions he may need.

He said last year that he would push for the exemption of UN sanctions to resume two major inter-Korean economic projects, a jointly run factory park and South Korean group tours to a scenic North Korean mountain.

The projects served as a rare legitimate source of foreign currency for the North.

Mr Moon acknowledged that efforts to boost inter-Korean ties would have limits.

But he said exchanges in sports and individual tours to North Korea are among the areas where the two Koreas can cooperate without violating the sanctions.

The prospect for Mr Moon’s possible push to get sanctions exemptions is unclear.