President Moon Jae-in expressed hopes for a resumption of dialogue with North Korea within this year, while denouncing the communist regime over the death of Otto Warmbier, the former American detainee in the North.

In his interviews with the Washington Post and CBS, President Moon underlined that his gesture to bring the North back to the negotiating table, however, did not imply at tolerance for its nuclear armament.

“To resolve the issue we have to add dialogue to the current menu of sanctions and pressure,” Moon told the Washington Post.

“Every time North Korea commits an additional provocation, the UN Security Council passes another resolution. But when it comes to dialogue, currently there is nothing set,” he said, adding that he hopes to discuss the issue with US President Donald Trump when they meet later this month in Washington.

Moon also said if the right conditions are met, he still believe it is “a good idea” to go to Pyongyang and meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The president also mentioned the possibility of reopening the inter-Korea Gaeseong Industrial Complex, which had been shut down amid rising military provocations, but only after seeing some progress in the North’s denuclearization.

“It seems that Kim Jong-un firmly believes that developing nuclear missiles capabilities will provide security and guarantee his regime, and we must make it clear that it is not the case,” Moon said.

Moon’s suggestion is that Seoul should first induce Pyongyang to freeze its nuclear program and to sit at the negotiating table, until it feels reassured enough to discuss complete abolishment.

“I believe that during my upcoming summit in the US, I will be able to discuss a two-phase approach to the North Korean nuclear issue, the first being a freeze and the second a complete dismantlement.”

Seoul’s liberal leader also made a defensive gesture on the deployment of the disputed anti-ballistic missile system -- the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.

“The decision to deploy was made by the previous administration and I have made it clear that I will not take the installment decision lightly,” Moon said, citing the need to complete an environmental impact assessment.

But he added that he was not seeking a postponement or reversal of the deployment.

Moon’s interview was released Tuesday, a few days ahead of its pre-arranged schedule. The release came in the wake of Moon’s televised interview with CBS, broadcast Tuesday morning.

In his pre-recorded televised interview, Moon held the North Korean regime accountable for the death of Otto Warmbier, in an apparent attempt to express consent to the US backlash against North Korean leader Kim.

“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 told Norah O’Donnel, co-anchor and interviewer for news program This Morning.

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.

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

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