President's News Conference

President Moon Jae-in's first new year's media conference came to an end just moments ago. The 90 minute long talk between the president and the press addressed a wide range of issues... covering everything from yesterday's inter-Korean talks and South Korea's relations with neighboring countries to the nation's economic growth and unemployment.
Our chief Blue House correspondent Moon Connyoung is live on the phone for us.
Connyoung, take us through the new conference.

Hi there, Mark. Let me begin with the president's thoughts on North Korea or inter-Korean relations, for that matter.
South Korean president Moon Jae-in is open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if certain conditions are met. This as he vowed to push for more talks with the North to resolve the nuclear standoff.

He spoke of a potential summit a day after the two Koreas held their first high-level meeting in about two years and agreed to cooperate in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.
They agreed North Korea will send a delegation of officials, athletes and others to the Feb. 9-25 Games and they plan talks later on reducing tensions along their border.

President Moon told reporters in this morning's televised news conference that to have the summit, some conditions must be established. He said a certain level of success must be guaranteed.

Moon described the North’s Olympic participation a "very desirable" saying he will push for more talks and cooperation with the North.

However, the president said denuclearizing the Korean peninsula is an aim that cannot be abandoned, but also that he did not want the immediate reunification of North and South Korea.

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