South Korean President Moon Jae-in says 'dialog' best option for Korean crisis

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrives at the airport in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 6, 2017 to attend the G20 summit. (Photo by AFP)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said Seoul preferred to resolve the Korean crisis through dialog.

However, he warned that Pyongyang’s "nuclear provocation" could open options other than dialog.

North Korea, on Tuesday, launched what was announced by local media as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the US mainland.

Moon made the comments on Friday after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg.

Moon said the Russian president could help establish a more conciliatory tone in the region needed to de-escalate the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

Putin, for his part, warned the belligerent parties involved the Korean crisis that impulsiveness and loss of self-control could lead to tragic consequences. He urged South Korea to take "pragmatic, accurate" measures to manage the crisis and appreciate its northern neighbor’s impetus for pursuing its missile program.

Russia and China, North Korea’s main ally, have urged South Korea and its main ally, the United States, to refrain from any rhetoric and action that could further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang has described its missile and nuclear weapons development program as a deterrent against US aggression and expansionism.  

North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully tested the ICBM, with leader Kim Jong-un calling it a gift to the United States on July 4, America’s Independence Day.

In response, the United States and South Korea launched a joint missile drill and US President Donald Trump described the test-fire of the ICBM as “very bad behavior” by North Korea.

He said he was contemplating a “severe” response and its possible “consequences.”