President Moon Jae-in has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a fundamental solution to resolve the North’s nuclear program and halt its provocations.
 
In a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the third Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, Moon said that unless Pyongyang’s provocations are stopped, the situation could become uncontrollable.
 
Adding in his opening statement that the international political situation has turned grave due to the North’s ceaseless missile and nuclear tests, Moon said that he hopes the two nations can jointly seek measures to resolve the crisis.
 
During phone talks with Putin on Monday, Moon said that it's time for the UN Security Council to toughen up sanctions on North Korea, including a ban on oil supplies to the North. 
 
Putin, however, showed a lukewarm response, saying that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula can be resolved through diplomacy. 
 
Putin focused on economic issues rather than North Korea in his opening statement. After noting that he is glad to discuss matters of mutual concern, including the North Korean nuclear problem, Putin quickly turned to economic cooperation.
 
He hoped for further cooperation between South Korea and Russia, saying that trade between the two sides fell last year, but grew around 50 percent in the first six months of this year. 
 
The summit meeting was also attended by a select group of Cabinet members and advisers. Moon and Putin will hold a joint press conference after an extended luncheon meeting.