Anchor: President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump reached a consensus to move forward with South Korea's planned humanitarian food aid for North Korea. The two leaders' positions were aligned during a 35-minute telephone conversation on Tuesday, and are seen as part of efforts to keep Pyongyang on the dialogue track after it test-launched multiple projectiles over the weekend. 
Park Jong-hong has more.

Report: South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed ways to keep Pyongyang engaged in dialogue as well as possible humanitarian food assistance for North Korea.

In a 35-minute telephone conversation on Tuesday, the two leaders exchanged thoughts on last Saturday’s short-range projectile launches by North Korea. They shared the view that the two allies’ coordinated response to the launches was appropriate and effective.

Experts suggest that Trump and Moon share the belief that North Korea's actions did not cross a red line and that there remains a desire to keep momentum for dialogue alive.

The topic of South Korean humanitarian aid to North Korea was also raised, following a joint report by the UN’s World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization that suggests 40 percent of the North’s population is in urgent need of food.

South Korean presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung said Trump responded warmly to the idea of South Korean food aid to the North and described it as a timely, positive step.

This is not the first time that humanitarian aid has been broached by the two leaders.

Last month in Washington, Trump said he and Moon were discussing “certain humanitarian things,” adding that sanctions against Pyongyang should remain intact.

But some are skeptical that humanitarian aid would be sufficient to entice North Korea back to the negotiating table, as Pyongyang continues to call for relief from sanctions.

Meanwhile, the White House said in a brief statement that the two leaders discussed the final, fully verified denuclearization of the North.
Park Jong-hong, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : YONHAP News]