US, South Korea set to revise bilateral missile treaty

By Laura Smith-Spark,

North Korea to US

(CNN)South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump have agreed "in principle" to revise a bilateral treaty that limits the weight and range of the South's ballistic missiles.

The move could give South Korea more independence from the United States to react to the threat from North Korea, analysts say.

The two leaders spoke in a phone call Friday.

"President Moon and President Trump reaffirmed their view that it is important to apply maximum sanctions and pressure on North Korea so that it refrains from making provocations and comes out to the dialogue table to peacefully resolve its nuclear issue," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said in a written statement.

According to the statement, the two also agreed "in principle on the revision of the missile guidelines."

North Koreans celebrate missile test, one day later

"Sharing the view that South Korea needs to bolster its defense capabilities to counter North Korea's provocations and threats, the two leaders agreed in principle to revise the missile guidelines to a level that the South Korean side desires," the spokesman's statement said. It did not provide further details about what the revision would entail.

Under the bilateral pact last revised in 2012, South Korea is allowed to develop ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles) and a payload weight of up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds).

The White House said Trump gave Moon his "conceptual approval" for the planned purchase by Seoul of billions of dollars of US military equipment.

The latest step comes after a roller-coaster month of escalating tensions over North Korea. Trump's suggestion this week that action, rather than talk, is needed to deal with Pyongyang has seemed to contradict some of his top Cabinet officials, who insist the United States will continue to seek a peaceful resolution despite the reclusive state's provocative missile tests.

Analyst: Boost to South Korean confidence

Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center, told CNN that revising the bilateral treaty would give the South Koreans a more independent deterrent capability, which they have wanted for years.