By Kim Rahn

Seoul welcomed Washington's plan to allow U.S. firms to invest in North Korea if Pyongyang completely dismantle its nuclear arsenal.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said Monday that South Korea expects such a proposal to be put into practice as soon as possible.

His remarks followed an interview of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who hinted at private American investment in the reclusive regime which needs to build an energy infrastructure.

"The sooner (the process for such an investment is made), the better," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Some compare such a U.S. stance to the Marshall Plan, a U.S. initiative to provide economic aid to Western Europe to help rebuild economies there after World War II. The official said, "Whatever it is called, (the related parties) are expected to exchange the North's denuclearization for a security guarantee for the regime.

"Regime security means safety, but with a more active interpretation, it means the North will be able to have normal exchanges with international society including the U.S.," he said.

In the interview with Fox News, Pompeo said if North Korea fully dismantles its nuclear programs, "this will be Americans coming in ― private-sector Americans, not the U.S. taxpayers ― private sector Americans coming in to help build out the energy grid. They need enormous amounts of electricity in North Korea."

He also hinted at the possible investment in infrastructure and agriculture so North Koreans "can eat meat and have healthy lives."

"Those are the things that if we get what the president demanded, the complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, the American people will offer in spades."

Pompeo even mentioned sanctions relief. "If we get denuclearization, of course there will be sanctions relief. Certainly. There will be more than that," he said in a separate interview with CBS.

Washington's intention to allow private investment is a positive action for not only Pyongyang but also Seoul, which is seeking inter-Korean economic projects, because American investment will mean not only money but also the Kim regime's security and thus will likely make the projects more stable and sustainable.

President Moon Jae-in's special security adviser, Moon Chung-in, earlier focused on the positive effects of such investment.

"The security of the regime which North Korea wants is a Trump Tower being built along its Taedong River and a branch of McDonald's opening in Pyongyang," he said in a forum ahead of the inter-Korean summit in late April.

"If such business projects are carried out in the North, the country will think it will be safe from U.S. military options," the adviser said.

Meanwhile, President Moon welcomed and highly praised North Korea's announcement of the public dismantling of its nuclear test site in Punggye-ri between May 23 and 25, as well as its release of three American detainees.

"It is meaningful as the initial measures for complete denuclearization have begun," Moon said in a meeting with his secretaries.

He said it was also positive that the North was showing sincerity for the success of its summit with the U.S. "I also highly recognize that Kim is carrying out his promises, which he made during the inter-Korean summit, one by one, following the first one to align its time zone with South Korea," Moon said.

（作者：汽车电瓶）