President Moon Jae-in has urged North Korea to stop its provocations using intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBM) and return to the negotiating table.

Presidential Spokesman Park Soo-hyun said Moon made the call toward Pyongyang during a meeting with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford at the presidential office on Monday.

President Moon said the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is facing more grave, realistic and urgent threats than ever due to the advancement of the North’s nuclear and missile capabilities, and condemned the North for undermining the security of the region and beyond with its recent string of ICBM tests. 

Stressing the South Korea-U.S. alliance’s will to strongly respond to the North’s additional provocations, Moon requested Dunford to play an important role based on the strong alliance in resolving the security challenges posed by the North’s nuclear and missile programs.

Dunford said the U.S. is prioritizing diplomacy or economic sanctions to resolve the North Korean issue, adding military options will be put in place if those efforts fail. 

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