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President Moon Jae-in gives an interview at the Blue House to the Singapore-based English news network CAN on Nov. 3 (provided by Blue House)

President Moon Jae-in asserted on Nov. 3 that it was “undesirable” for South Korea’s cooperation with the US and Japan to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations to “develop the level of a military alliance.” While stressing the “paramount importance” of the South Korea-US alliance, Moon also sent a signal that he hopes to actively improve relations with China. “I intend to pursue balanced diplomacy to form a friendlier relationship with China,” he said.

In an interview that day with the Singapore-based English-language news network CNA at the Blue House, Moon stressed that “in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missiles provocations, in addition to the cooperation with the US, such cooperation with Japan has also become very important.”

“But I don't believe that it is desirable to develop the trilateral cooperation into a military alliance,” he said.

“I also think that it is undesirable in terms of relationships with ASEAN countries for Japan to use any of North Korea’s nuclear activities as an excuse to pursue the path of development into a military power,” he added.

In the case of China, Moon signaled his plans to actively improve relationships ahead of a bilateral summit following the two sides’ recent resolution of their conflict on the THAAD deployment issue.

“For (South) Korea, the alliance with the US is more important than anything in safeguarding our security. In particular, cooperation between Korea and the US is essential to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue,” he said, adding that Seoul “need[s] to maintain the traditional stance of laying great importance on the bilateral relations with the US.”

Channel NewsAsia's report on the interview with President Moon Jae-in

At the same time, he also stressed that “relations with China are also tremendously important.”

“The relationship with China has become more important not only in terms of economic cooperation, but also for strategic cooperation for the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. That is why I am pursuing a balanced diplomacy with the US as well as China,” he added.

Moon placed major emphasis on China’s role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. Referring to the UN Security Council’s September adoption of Resolution 2375 sanctioning North Korea in response to its sixth nuclear test, he noted that a “substantial part ” of its terms were “things that have to be carried out by China” and that China was “making sincere efforts to implement the recent United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution.”

“That is very helpful in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue” he said.

Moon went on to say Seoul would “closely cooperate with China and make joint efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiation table.”

Moon’s remarks read as a signal ahead of his upcoming summits with the US and China that he hopes to actively mend relations with China while providing a gentle check against the US, which has been stressing the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Japan.

“Coming amid a thaw in South Korea-China relations, [the remarks] are significant in pressing China to emphasize its role and show a more active attitude on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue,” a Blue House official said.

“They also send the message to the US that [Seoul] is opposed to trilateral security cooperation with Japan reaching the level of a military alliance.”

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

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