Moon to Putin: DPRK crisis is 'unpredictable'

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that the situation on the Korean Peninsula could become unpredictable if Pyongyang did not halt its 'provocative actions' after its latest nuclear bomb test.

Putin and Moon met on the sidelines of an economic summit in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok amid mounting international concerns that their shared neighbor plans more weapons tests, potentially including a long-range missile launch ahead of a key weekend anniversary.

Moon Jae-in also said he and Putin shared an understanding that resolving the DPRK nuclear issue is a top priority for development in East Asia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in shake hands during a meeting at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 6, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Moon, making the comments at a joint media conference with Putin after a meeting in Russia, said the Russian president expressed his full support for South Korea's efforts to handle issues related to the DPRK.

Moon, who came to power earlier this year advocating a policy of pursuing engagement with Pyongyang, has come under increasing pressure to take a harder line on the DPRK.

He said on Tuesday the UN should consider new tough sanctions on the DPRK, extending to halting oil shipments, after Sunday's nuclear test.

However, Russia has reacted coolly to the prospect of more sanctions, with Putin saying on Tuesday it was a "road to nowhere."

Sanctions have so far done little to stop the DPRK boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to stop Pyongyang from being able to hit the US mainland with a nuclear weapon.

Putin said it was not possible to resolve the DPRK crisis with just sanctions and pressure alone. Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program was a flagrant violation of UN resolutions, said Putin.

"Without political and diplomatic tools, it is impossible to make headway in the current situation; to be more precise, it is impossible at all," Putin said at a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on Monday of "begging for war" with a series of nuclear bomb and missile tests. She urged the 15-member Security Council to impose the "strongest possible" sanctions to deter him and shut down his trading partners.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will discuss the DPRK with Moon and Putin in Vladivostok, said on Wednesday he wanted the DPRK to understand it has "no bright future" if it continues on its current path.

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Source(s): Reuters