US delegation meets South Korean leaders to discuss DPRK issue

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A delegation of US officials led by Senator Edward Markey met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss measures aimed at easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"Talking with North Korea is not a concession. It is the only way to reach an agreement to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and to reinforce that our military strength is there only to deter aggression and defend against attack," Markey said.

"We must acknowledge that a preventive war would not solve this problem and it would make matters much, much worse," he added.

Markey also said the latest round of UN-backed sanctions against the DPRK is part of a "bold strategy" needed to deter Pyongyang's nuclear program.

These include cutting off oil and gas exports from countries such as China and Russia. But he stressed that bringing DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table is still the top priority.

The delegation is now heading to China for the final leg of their Asia trip.

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