Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Tuesday at the Seoul Defense Dialogue that he strongly hopes North Korea and the United States will resume dialogue. He said the South Korean military will support that effort with powerful might and back President Lee Jae Myung’s pacemaker role. Ahn said Seoul will keep making room for talks with Pyongyang through sustained, low-intensity efforts, including the removal of fixed loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border last year. He also said deterrence and dialogue should go together.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back gives an opening speech at the Seoul Defense Dialogue held in central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Tuesday he "strongly" hopes for the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, saying the South Korean military will support it with "powerful might."
Ahn made the remarks during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his intent to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year.
"I strongly hope that dialogue between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un bears fruit despite various challenges," Ahn said.
