Moon seeks Putin's help, warns of 'uncontrollable' North Korea

[SEOUL] South Korean President Moon Jae In sought to find common ground with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to prevent the situation on the Korean peninsula from spinning out of control.

"If we fail to stop North Korea's provocations now, it could sink into an uncontrollable situation," Mr Moon said in opening remarks before a meeting with Mr Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday.

"I want to seek a fundamental solution to resolve the North Korea nuclear problem here."

Mr Putin, who derided increased sanctions as "useless and ineffective" a day earlier, said that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss North Korea with Mr Moon.

Russia and China both hold vetoes on the United Nations Security Council, which is considering new sanctions against Kim Jong Un's regime after it conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday.

"They'll eat grass, but they won't abandon their program unless they feel secure," Mr Putin told reporters Tuesday at an emerging markets summit in Xiamen, China, which was hosted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

North Korean has been seen readying another launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could come before it marks the anniversary of its founding on Sept 9. Mr Kim claimed on Sunday that he could fit a warhead onto an ICBM capable of striking the continental US.

President Donald Trump, who has warned North Korea of "fire and fury" if it continues threatening the US, plans to speak Wednesday evening with Mr Xi, the White House said in a statement.

Mr Trump has threatened to cut off trade with all countries that do business with North Korea, a group that includes China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also plans to visit Vladivostok for talks with Mr Moon and Mr Putin.

He told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday that he wants North Korea to understand it has "no bright future" if it continues on its current path.

BLOOMBERG