South Korea's Moon vows to work with U.S. to denuclearize Korean peninsula

U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in participate in an expanded bilateral meeting at the White House, in Washington, U.S. May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday said his country would work closely with the United States to achieve a complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Moon, speaking to reporters after a private meeting with President Joe Biden, said the world welcomed the United States' return to leadership.

He said the two allies would work together on combating the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilding the global economy and addressing climate change.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)