U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Seoul, during the second leg of his 13-day Asia trip. As the two leaders discussed the DPRK and trade issues – people both supporting and opposing Trump lined the streets.
CGTN’s Jack Barton reports.
After landing in South Korea the first stop for President Trump was Camp Humphries, the largest American army garrison outside of the America.
There he met and dined with military personal, their families as well as Korean officials.
Then it was on to the Blue House in Seoul to be officially greeted by President Moon Jae-in, who has been pushing for unconditional dialogue with Pyongyang, an approach Trump has previously described as ‘appeasement’.
In turn, Moon has been wary of Trump’s warnings of unleashing ‘fire and fury’ on the DPRK.
“We hope, in fact — I’ll go a step further, we hope to God we never have to use it. With that being said, I really believe that it makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and to make a deal that’s good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world. I do see a certain movement, yes. But let’s see what happens,” President Trump said.
The South Korean president said he hoped Trump’s overall trip to Asia could defuse the current tensions.
“I hope that your visit to South Korea and to the Asia-Pacific region will offer us the opportunity to release some of the anxiety that the people here have due to North Korea’s provocations and also assert a turning point in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said.
As the presidents of South Korea and the U.S. met inside the Blue House, demonstrators gathered outside to let their message be heard, which was a call for President Trump to end the angry rhetoric they believe is pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a conflict.
People believe rather than defuse tensions with the DPRK Trump could push them higher.
It’s not just how to deal with the DPRK that Trump and Moon are odds over, but also the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries that the U.S. president has threatened to rip up.
But the mood on Tuesday was one of re-assurance and perhaps glossing over the differences.
South Korea has after all put on a full state visit for Trump, who will speak before the country’s national assembly on Wednesday and visit the national cemetery to honor those who died fighting in Korean War before heading on to China.