Moon Jae-in, South Korea's newly elected president, vowed on Wednesday to play a more assertive role in resolving North Korea's nuclear crisis through dialogue, saying he would be willing to meet with its leader, Kim Jong-un, if the circumstances were right.

Moon also pledged to strengthen the alliance with Washington, expressing an eagerness for an early summit meeting with President Donald Trump, whose military posturing and diplomatic overtures toward the North in recent weeks have both rattled and confused South Koreans. But Moon also hinted at balancing diplomacy between the United States and China, his country's largest trading partner.