S Korea says Seoul cannot recognize rival North as nuclear state

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has reportedly said that Seoul cannot recognize North Korea as a nuclear state and discussions with Pyongyang on denuclearisation and better ties must go together.

"The two talks should go parallel with each other and President Moon stressed close cooperation between the United States and South Korea is important for that," said Moon’s spokesman Yoon Young-chan during a press briefing on Friday.

"President Moon also said out of all countries, South Korea has the strongest will to say it cannot acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear state," Yoon added.

According to local press reports, the South Korean president made the remarks to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US president, who arrived in the East Asian country earlier in the day to participate in the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

The two Koreas have been improving ties since last month, when Pyongyang announced its willingness to take part in the Winter Olympics, a decision that led to the historic visit to the South by North Korean leader’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, during which an invitation was extended to Moon for a visit to Pyongyang.

The two neighbors have been separated by a heavily-militarized border since the end of Korean War in 1953.

This is while Seoul further announced on Friday that it had approved a visit by another high-level North Korean official, currently sanctioned by the US and the South, for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Sunday.

Kim Yong-chol, the vice-chairman of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, will lead a high-level delegation to South Korea. The delegation is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Moon.

The development came as US President Donald Trump announced later on Friday what he referred to as America’s “largest ever” tranche of sanctions against North Korea, in an attempt to raise further pressure on the nuclear-armed nation.

PressTV-Trump announces 'largest ever' N Korea sanctions

Trump has announced what he called America’s “largest ever” tranche of sanctions against North Korea, in an attempt to increase pressure on the nuclear-armed country.

Trump made the remarks during an address at the Conservative Political Action Conference, days after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the pressure from the US-led economic sanctions is "having its bite on North Korea.”

“Today I am announcing that we are launching the largest-ever set of new sanctions on the North Korean regime,” Trump emphasized.

“The Treasury Department will soon be taking new action to further cut off sources of revenue and fuel that the regime uses to fund its nuclear program and sustain its military by targeting 56 vessels, shipping companies and trade businesses that are assisting North Korea in evading sanctions,” he added.

North Korea, already under numerous harsh UN and other international sanctions, has resisted the US-led campaign to try to force Pyongyang to halt its weapons program. It has vowed to continue with its arms development as a deterrent measure against potential aggression by the US, which maintains substantial offensive military presence in the region.

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