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FOREIGN MINISTER'S INTERVIEW WITH CNN AMANPOUR

[AMANPOUR] With Kim Jung-un saying that Donald Trump is quote “begging for war,” from Seoul Foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha tells me things are very tense, but her country is relying on the United States.

[Minister Kang] We are absolutely confident about the U.S. commitment to the alliance, and this is based upon overwhelming military superiority. So, we are confident.

[AMANPOUR] Many people have questioned the war of words that is going on between Kim Jung-un in Pyongyang and President Trump in Washington -- the Tweets and the insults back and forth. What do you make of that? Is that the way to deal with this kind of potential crisis?

[Minister Kang] We don’t go by the daily comments. We go by the longer-term patterns, and the longer-term pattern -- the commitment -- is that the United States and the Republic of Korea stand very much together on three core principles in dealing with the North Korean threat, which is that North Korean nuclear program will never be accepted -- that North Korea will never be accepted as a nuclear power, that we will find a peaceful resolution to this, and that this will be all based upon solid ROK-US alliance.

[AMANPOUR] Foreign minister, I feel a very very difficult situation is about to arise, because you say and the United States says that a nuclear North Korea will never be accepted. But there are other experts and allies who say, "Well, actually they are a nuclear country right now", and "I don’t know how you think you are gonna denuclearize at the moment." Will you take North Korea as a responsible nuclear power? Do you see any diplomacy leading in that direction?

[Minister Kang] Well, the non-acceptance of North Korea as a nuclear power is not just our position and the US position. It’s a position of the whole global community as stated several times in the UN Security Council resolutions. Now, they have declared after the latest missile launch the completion of their program, but as I said, there is no concrete evidence that they have mastered the technology that is required to be able to put a nuclear device on a long-range nuclear missile.

[AMANPOUR] I just wonder whether everybody is burying their head in the sand a little bit like ostriches. But you will admit that they are making galavanting progress.

[Minister Kang] Yes, they have… and in a pace that is far faster than many of us have expected. But they have not reached the final completion stage yet. The global community has to put the pressure and implement the sanctions in a concerted way so that it does make a difference for the North Korean regime, and that it does force a change of course from the North Korean regime.

[AMANPOUR] You know, there is a lot of talk in Washington that potentially Rex Tillerson may not be long for secretary of state and potentially the current CIA director Mike Pompeo may replace him. Well, in July Mike Pompeo tweeted quote “The North Korean people I’m sure are lovely people and would love to see him go” that being Kim Jung-un. Can you say, like many have said, the regime change is on or off the table?

[Minister Kang] Well, our policy has been very clear on this. We do not seek a hostile posture toward North Korea. We do not seek regime change. We do not seek artificial hurried reunification. We do not seek to march across the DMZ. What we seek is peace, and for us to have that peace, we must obtain denuclearization of North Korea.

[AMANPOUR] There are a lot of mixed messages in the public domain. Don’t you have rehearsals for the assassination of Kim Jung-un?

[Minister Kang] Having contingency plans and having military options is one thing. How do you put all together in support of diplomatic solution is another.

[AMANPOUR] Do you ever worry about blundering into, you know, the worst possible outcome which is war?

[Minister Kang] Well, I think that it is precisely why we really need to show that we do have the defense posture -- that we have a robust military preparedness just in case anything happens. And we need to send a clear message to North Korea. Their dream of becoming, being acknowledged as a nuclear power is just a misguided notion that the international community will never accept.

[AMANPOUR] And from your perspective sitting in Seoul not that far away from the DMZ -- the demilitarize zone, just tell us what is at stake for you?

[Minister Kang] If anything happens, the consequences will be catastrophic, which is why those of us living here with this neighbor are very much committed to finding a peaceful resolution to this, so that war does not break out again on the Korean Peninsula. We have the country that is a model of democracy and a thriving market economy. So, the idea that could be wiped out by another war is just unimaginable, and I think for the international community to let that happen would be unconscionable.

[AMANPOUR] Can I ask you just one last question about a completely different topic but it is relevant to you and me? I wonder whether you look around and you see this current sort of reckoning that is going on in the west with these accusations of sexual abuse and misconduct, and lots of men being fired. I wonder whether you see this as an opportunity for the playing field to be leveled not just in the west but in your region and elsewhere.

[Minister Kang] I think this… if I may call it traumatic events, it's painful for those involved. But the silver lining is that it has consequences. It does remind people that these things continue, they are unacceptable. So, with one step move back, I think there is two-step moving forward. I see this in Korea as well. Violence against women of all forms is still very much an issue that is relevant to gender equality in my country. I head a ministry, where I am at the top, but two tiers below me are largely men, although at the entry level we have 67 percent women coming in. So, the idea of gender equality and the societies being freed of sexual violence and harassment is the goal that we all have to work towards. But we need to find the way to use this moment to move things forward.

[AMANPOUR] Foreign minister Kang, thank you so much for joining us from Seoul.

[Minister Kang] Thank you very much Christiane. It's been a pleasure.