South Korea's Moon says no military action without Seoul's consent

Top US military official arrives South Korea amid North Korea tension
North Korea still needs time to perfect re-entry technology – South Korea vice defence minister
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18 August, 2017

Washington has previously said it will consider talks with Pyongyang if it agrees to give up its nuclear weapons program, a precondition North Korean officials have described as a non-starter.

General Joe Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, also told reporters during his visit to Beijing that the USA has no plans to "dial back" military exercises with South Korea, which have angered both China and North Korea.

But Moon said: "I will prevent war at all cost".

"The people worked together to rebuild the country from the Korean War, and we can not lose everything again because of a war", President Moon Jae-in said in a nationally televised news conference, translated by The Associated Press.

A critical juncture lies ahead on August 21, when the United States and South Korea are due to start annual military drills involving tens of thousands of USA and South Korean soldiers.

Washington has 28,500 troops stationed in the country to protect it from the North.

"I think here, we have to be honest - we have many, many hard issues where we don't necessarily share the same perspective", Dunford said.

The exchange of rhetoric has raised alarms in Moscow and Beijing.

North Korea responded that it was ready to aim a missile at the American territory Guam, but it has since suspended the operation.

Fan said China was willing to work with the United States to find more potential for cooperation, handle disputes and sensitive issues appropriately and ensure military cooperation becomes a positive force in relations. "We can't lose everything with another war".

"If you just leave the situation to be dealt with by the United States, and a war started just like that, we in Japan would be quite scared", he said.

Soon after coming to office he delayed the deployment of the US-developed THAAD anti-missile system.

He also commented that "the USA sought to put maximum pressure and sanctions through the latest UN Security Council resolution", while at the same time it is "seeking unilateral measures".

Beijing has grown increasingly exasperated with its wayward neighbour, but fears instability and the prospect of U.S. troops on its border in a united Korea.

For talks to take place, he said, "there must be a guarantee that it will lead to a fruitful outcome".

"I think the North perfecting an ICBM, loading an atomic warhead on it and weaponizing it is a red line". He added that Seoul is even mulling sending a special envoy to Pyongyang in an attempt to restart diplomacy with the reclusive nation.

"If North Korea provokes again, it will face with much harsher sanction and won't stand it in the end".

Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday in Beijingt he United States has no plans to curtail military exercises with South Korea, which has angered Beijing and Pyongyang.

The cost of Chinese trade practices on the US economy is estimated to be more than $200 billion every year.

Instead, Trump fired off a bellicose statement on his own, escalating the threat of war with the North in a way no U.S. president has done in recent memory.

While in Seoul, Gen Dunford said on Monday (Aug 14) America's focus in dealing with the recalcitrant North Korean regime is placed on diplomatic efforts and economic pressure.


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