Anchor: President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday held a luncheon meeting with key generals of the South Korean and the U.S. militaries.  During the meeting, Moon praised the restrained allied response to North Korea's recent missile launches. He said the calm response keeps the North on the dialogue track as long as the regime refrains from any further provocations.  
Kim Bum-soo has more.   

Report: President Moon Jae-in says the momentum for dialogue is still alive with North Korea, thanks to the coordinated and restrained response by the United States to the recent series of missile launches by the North.

[Sound bite: President Moon Jae-in (Korean)] 
"The rock solid R.O.K.-U.S. alliance as well as the close coordination that our two countries have been maintaining was clearly evident during our common joint response to North Korea's recent launches of projectiles, including short range missiles."  

The South Korean president on Tuesday held a luncheon meeting with Commander Robert B. Abrams of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and other key U.S. military personnel.

[Sound bite: President Moon Jae-in (Korean)] 
"In the midst of such a close coordination by our two countries, we have been able to send out very calm and measured messages in one voice and so that in the event of absence of additional provocations by North Korea, we will be able to maintain the momentum for further dialogue."  

Earlier this month, North Korea launched short-range missiles into the East Sea in two separate military exercises, sparking concerns over the already endangered nuclear negotiations with the U.S. 

The South Korean and the U.S. militaries remain cautious about identifying the North Korean projectiles as "ballistic missiles," which North Korea is banned from firing under UN resolutions.  

[Sound bite: President Moon Jae-in (Korean)]  
"Even if peace is established on the Korean Peninsula with the power of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the role of the alliance will remain important in the peace and stability of all of Northeast Asia."  

[Sound bite: Commander Gen. Robert B. Abram - Commander, S. Korea-US Combined Forces Command (English)]
"We thank you for your leadership and your continued support to issues that matter to us all. Your administration and your leadership, the Republic of Korean armed forces enjoys historic levels of resourcing, which makes our alliance stronger and prepares us for any potential crisis." 

During the meeting Tuesday, Moon also argued that the reduced inter-Korean tension has helped the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea to maintain the momentum for dialogue despite the breakdown of their Hanoi summit in February. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.