S Korea's Moon says war unthinkable

South Korean President Moon Jae-In called for calm on Aug. 14 in the standoff with North Korea, saying there should never be another war on the peninsula.

Tensions have flared since U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to the North's latest missile tests, warned it of "fire and fury like the world has never seen."

The North in turn threatened to test-fire its missiles toward the U.S. Pacific island of Guam.

The war of words has sparked global alarm, with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping urging calm on both sides.

Moon, a left-leaning leader who has previously advocated dialogue with the North, urged it to "stop all provocations and hostile rhetoric immediately, instead of worsening the situation any further."

He also indirectly urged the U.S. - the South's key ally and security guarantor - to resolve the crisis peacefully.

"Our top priority is the national interest of the Republic of Korea [South Korea] and our national interest lies in peace," Moon told advisers in a meeting.

"We cannot have a war on the Korean peninsula ever again," he said. The 1950-53 conflict cost more than a million lives, left cities in ruins and perpetuated the division of the peninsula.

"I am confident that the U.S. will respond to the current situation in a calm and responsible manner in line with our policy direction," Moon said.  

Moon also met on Aug. 14 General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is visiting Seoul as part of a trip which will also include China and Japan.

The latest U.S. and North Korean saber-rattling has sparked concern that a miscalculation by either side could trigger a catastrophic conflict, although many analysts voice doubts...