South Korean leader says he's confident war will be averted; others not sure

North Korean flag

South Korean President Moon Jae-in marked his first 100 days in office Thursday by issuing a statement that very likely pleased his nation’s 50 million inhabitants.

“I can confidently say there will not be a war again on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said.

The president’s statement came amid seemingly easing tensions between neighboring communist North Korea and South Korean ally the United States, which in recent weeks have engaged in a rhetorical battle that many feared would put both nations on a path toward a nuclear war.

Nevertheless, many ordinary citizens in the Asia-Pacific region remained wary of the situation.

Shogo Aoki, a Japanese researcher, said that by threatening North Korea recently, Trump was putting America’s interests over those of North Korea’s more vulnerable neighbors.

“I think (Trump) is thinking that this won’t result in any deaths back home, and if a war happens it will be far from home,” Aoki said. “Whether or not he's thinking about other countries -- Japan or Korea -- well, that's a mystery.

Continue reading this story at FOXNews.com