South Korean President Moon Jae-in says he hopes his efforts to engage rival North Korea at the Olympics will also lead to better ties between the North and its other major rival, Washington, as well as help set up talks on ridding the North of its nuclear bombs.
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But Moon wouldn't answer a question from The Associated Press about what needs to happen before he'll take North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un up on his invitation for a summit. He earlier said "let's not get too far ahead" on a summit, according to his office.
Moon has yet to accept the North Korean offer, which was delivered on February 10 by Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. He's only said that the Koreas should "create an environment" for talks.
There's a reason for his caution: the United States.
Moon likely wants his talks with the North to be accompanied with warming ties between Pyongyang and Washington so there's less chance of alienating the South's most crucial ally, which keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter an attack by the North.
Some conservatives worry that North Korea's friendly overtures to Seoul are meant to push Washington farther away from its southern rival. This, the North may hope, will ruin US President Donald Trump's policy of "maximum pressure," which is focused on slapping more isolating sanctions on the most sanctioned country on earth.
"We are hoping that the ongoing talks between the South and North will lead to talks between the United States and North Korea and eventually to (North Korean) denuclearisation dialogue," Moon told reporters at the Olympics media centre in Pyeongchang on Saturday.
He also noted that "a consensus is starting to build that there's also a need for talks between the United States and North Korea."
Australian Associated Press