Meet Joe Biden, Moon Jae-in Says It's Time To Act On North Korea's Nuclear And Missile Issues

South Korean President Moon Jae-in. (Wikimedia Commons/www.kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared the final year of his rule, as the last chance to achieve lasting peace with North Korea.

In addition, President Moon also said it was time to take action regarding North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, amid stalled talks on both sides.

This was conveyed by President Moon, in a speech marking the fourth year of his presidency, Monday 10 Meni, as well as ahead of a meeting with President of the United States Joe Biden on 21 Upcoming.

The South Korean president is expected to push the United States to establish ties with North Korea, though Biden has shown little interest in making North Korea a top priority.

"I will consider the remainder of my one-year term as the last chance to move, from incomplete peace to i cannot be changed," he said, addressing Koreatimes on Monday 10 Mein.

"Now, the time for long deliberations will also soon be over. It's time to take action," President Moon Jae-in continued.

Biden's administration says his offer to Pyongyang has not been answered. In addition, the United States has also recently completed a policy review calling for a practical approach, in using diplomacy to find achievable goals to eventually persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

Moon said he welcomed the conclusions of the policy review while pointing out that the current impasse in dialogue is undesirable.

Nevertheless, President Joe Biden has shown no signs of easing sanctions against North Korea, which has hampered Moon's efforts to launch two North Korean economic and tourism projects. The White House has not yet appointed a special envoy to address the issue.

In his speech, Moon said he did not think North Korea rejected the dialogue, but rather waited to further assess United States policy.

Although three inter-Korean summits and two North Korea-U.S. summits since 2018 have not resolved the nuclear issue, it has helped defuse tensions and maintain peace, and proves that diplomacy is key, he said.

"If there is an opportunity to restart the peace clock and advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, I will do all I can. I hope North Korea responds positively," he said.

The North Korean government itself has consistently criticized and ridiculed South Korea. Last year, they blew up an inter-Korean liaison office built on its own territory.