President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday held North Korea accountable for the death of an American student who died shortly after his release from detention in the communist state, calling the regime “irrational.”

“We can make speculations that there were many unjust and cruel treatments to Mr. Warmbier and I strongly condemn such cruel actions by North Korea,” the South Korea president said in his exclusive interview with US news outlet CBS.

“We cannot know for sure that North Korea killed Mr. Warmbier, but I believe it is quite clear that they have a heavy responsibility in the process that led to his death.”

Moon’s first interview as president with a US media outlet was pre-recorded in the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday morning with Norah O’Donnell, co-anchor of news program “This Morning.”
 

The South Korean state chief’s remark seemed to agree, though indirectly, with US Sen. John McCain, who said the US citizen was “murdered” by the Kim Jong-un regime.

Warmbier, a 22-year-old student at the University of Virginia, returned to his home Ohio last week in a comatose state after over 17 months of detention in North Korea, where he had been arrested for trying to steal a political propaganda sign. He died Monday.

The series of events took place just before President Moon was due to visit Washington for the first-ever summit with US counterpart Donald Trump on June 29-30, adding to elevating disputes on North Korea’s nuclear program and an advanced US anti-missile shield to be deployed here.

President Moon nevertheless stated that dialogue with Pyongyang is necessary to take a step towards denuclearization.

“We must now have the perception that NK is an irrational regime, and dialogue is necessary as we were unable to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through sanctions and pressure only,” he said.

Further tension mounted as the two moved on to the disparity between Seoul and Washington over the idea of holding talks with Pyongyang before it is fully denuclearized.

“I believe that my position is not at odds with the policy of the United States or that of President Trump,” Moon said.

His comment came in answer to the anchor‘s suggestion that Moon’s plan to hold a dialogue with North Korea stood against US policy and that it could create an issue in the upcoming summit.

When asked whether the US president would “allow” such inter-Korean talks without concessions, Moon claimed it was not his plan to “give in” to the communist regime.

“I have never mentioned a dialogue with no preconditions whatsoever,” he said, calling for a gradual approach towards denuclearizing the North.

“I believe (at) first we must vie for a freeze of North Korea’s nuke and missile programs. And then, as a second phase, try to achieve the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program.”

After broadcasting the interview scene, anchor O‘connell suggested that Moon was hoping to visit Pyongyang and meet with Kim Jong-un in person, so as to make him believe through talks that the North Korean regime may be sustained without nuclear armament.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)