South Korea’s Moon Calls for Talks to End Trade Dispute With Japan

South Korea’s Moon Calls for Talks to End Trade Dispute With Japan
People watch a TV screen showing a live broadcast of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's speech during a ceremony to celebrate the Korean Liberation Day, marking the 74th anniversary of Korea's liberation from the Japanese colonial rule, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 15, 2019. The signs read: "Korean Liberation Day." AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon
|Updated:

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered an olive branch to Japan to end an ongoing trade dispute Thursday, saying Seoul will “gladly join hands” if Tokyo wants to talk.

Moon in a nationally televised speech also downplayed the threat posed by North Korea’s recent short-range ballistic launches and expressed hope that Washington and Pyongyang would soon resume nuclear negotiations.