(LEAD) Moon says N. Korea irrational, responsible for Warmbier's death

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more information from 6th para)

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in condemned North Korea Tuesday for the death of an American student who died after his release from detention in the communist North, calling Pyongyang an "irrational regime."

"We can speculate that there were many unjust and cruel treatments to Mr. (Otto) Warmbier. And I strongly condemn such cruel actions by North Korea," Moon said in an interview with CBS, according to a script of the interview posted by the American news outlet.

"We cannot know for sure that North Korea killed Mr. Warmbier. But I believe it is quite clear that they have a heavy responsibility in the process that led to Mr. Warmbier's death," he added.

Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student, returned home in a coma last week after 17 months of detention in the North.

He died Monday (U.S. time), six days after his release.

Moon gave the interview ahead of his June 29-30 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

Moon expressed his condolences to the bereaved family of Warmbier and said his death should have made all realize how important it was to rid the communist North of its nuclear weapons.

"I believe we must now have the perception that North Korea is an irrational regime. Working with such a country, we must achieve the goal of the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program," he said.

The new South Korean leader still noted a need to resume dialogue with the North, insisting the world has been "unable to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through only sanctions and pressure."

Moon said resuming dialogue with the North required certain preconditions without elaborating on what those conditions were.

"I believe that first we must vie for a freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. And then, as a second phase, try to achieve the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program. And I believe there are voices supporting such a step-by-step approach even within the United States," he said, according to the U.S. channel.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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