SEOUL, South Korea _ South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that any military action against Kim Jong Un's regime requires his nation's approval, and vowed to prevent war at all costs.
"There will be no war repeated on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said in a speech on Tuesday marking the anniversary of the end of Japanese occupation in the 1940s. Military action against North Korea should be decided by "ourselves and not by anyone else," he said.
While Moon said that South Korea would work with the U.S. to counter security threats, he emphasized the need to focus on diplomatic efforts. Sanctions were designed to bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its nuclear and missile weapons programs, he said.
The comments from a key U.S. ally contrast with the threats of war coming from President Donald Trump, who vowed to unleash "fire and fury" on Pyongyang if Kim persists with advancements in his arsenal, particularly intercontinental ballistic missiles. Trump's rhetoric has raised concerns that a miscalculation _ or unilateral action by the U.S. _ could spark a military conflict that risks devastating North Korea's neighbors.
South Korea is positioned to suffer the most from any hostilities with North Korea. Seoul and its 10 million residents sit just 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of the demilitarized zone, in range of North Korea's artillery and rockets.
Moon took power in May promising more engagement with North Korea following almost a decade of conservative rule. Last month, he said that under the right circumstances he's willing to meet Kim "anytime, anywhere."
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke with Trump by phone on Tuesday and agreed on the need to prevent North Korea from launching missiles. Pyongyang is raising tensions to unprecedented levels, Abe told reporters in Tokyo.
Still, while Kim discussed plans to fire missiles near Guam with his commanding officers on Monday, he also said he would watch the U.S.'s conduct "a little more," indicating he is not yet planning to follow through with his Guam threats.
