Seoul, July 27 (IANS) South Korea’s unification ministry reaffirmed its stance Monday on seeking “realistic and practical” solutions to denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, focusing on halting North Korea’s nuclear programs.
“The ministry’s position has not budged from seeking a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community,” Yoon Min-ho, the ministry’s spokesperson, said at a regular briefing.
“Given the gravity of North Korean nuclear issues, we will focus on halting North Korea’s nuclear programs and seek to find realistic and practical solutions,” he said, Yonhap News Agency reported.
His remarks came in response to a statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, carried by the Korean Central News Agency earlier in the day.
She rejected outright a joint statement released Saturday after the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, which reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea.
North Korea’s “nuclear capability will be updated steadily without a momentary stagnation,” she said.
South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said last week the government has moved away from prioritising North Korea’s denuclearisation, instead framing peace as a necessary first step to reviving stalled talks with Pyongyang.
“For the past year, the Lee Jae Myung government has practically abolished the previous government’s stance centred on achieving denuclearisation first, or its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) policy, and shifted toward a ‘peace-first’ policy,” Chung said.
Earlier in June, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said that South Korea will pursue a phased and practical approach to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and stronger cooperation with like-minded countries to advance regional peace and stability.
Cho outlined South Korea’s foreign policy priorities during an official dinner for participants of the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity underway on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the ministry.
“We will pursue sustainable peace and coexistence, while taking a phased and practical approach toward the goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula,” he said, underscoring the importance of peaceful coexistence and conflict prevention.
Cho also reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening its own defence capabilities based on the South Korea-US alliance, while expanding cooperation with like-minded countries, including the Group of Seven (G7), as well as emerging and developing countries in the Global South.
South Korea will seek to serve as a bridge among nations by leveraging its strengths in development cooperation, advanced technology and culture, while contributing to efforts to address climate change, public health and challenges linked to Artificial Intelligence (AI), the minister noted.
–IANS
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