NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/POPE FRANCIS/SOUTH KOREA: “Pope Francis Monday [1-8-18] called for stronger efforts for nuclear disarmament, particularly on the Korean Peninsula, the day before representatives of South and North Korea are due to meet in Seoul for their first official bilateral talks in two years.
‘It is of paramount importance to support every effort at dialogue’ between the countries to ‘increase mutual trust and ensure a peaceful future for the Korean people and the entire world,’ the pope said in his annual address to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican.
Officially, the Seoul talks are to discuss cooperation during next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, but it is hoped they will also help to reduce rising tensions over the North’s nuclear program and recent missile tests.
The Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 183 states, as well as the Order of Malta and the European Union…
But Pope Francis gave special emphasis to nuclear disarmament, a topic which has become a priority for him even as tensions have risen between North Korea and the U.S.”
-Francis X. Rocca, “Pope Calls for Nuclear Disarmament on Korean Peninsula,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 8, 2018 08:29am