The new South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that he'd be willing to visit rival North Korea under the right conditions.

Moon, speaking Tuesday during his formal oath of office, didn't elaborate. But he favors a softer approach to dealing with North Korea and its nuclear and missile ambitions than his conservative predecessors.

Moon also said that he will negotiate with the United States, the South's top ally, and China, Seoul's top trading partner, over a contentious U.S. missile-defense system deployed in the South. Beijing says the system allows Washington to spy on China's military operations.

Earlier this month, President Trump said that he “absolutely” would meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

“If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,” Trump told Bloomberg News, adding: “If it’s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that.”

The comments come as he and his advisers grapple with how to rein in the North Korea threat. Trump has declined to take military action off the table, but has been urging China to pressure Pyongyang into changing its behavior -- as Congress moves on a separate front to apply new sanctions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report