North Korea will likely have a chance to confirm its commitment to
denuclearisation during the inter-Korean summit meeting this week, Foreign Minister
Kang Kyung-wha said.
The summit between President
Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un is set to take place on Friday in the inter-Korean truce village of
Panmunjom.
Foreign Minister Kang said: "The South-North summit talks are expected to be a venue where the leaders discuss the issue of denuclearisation frankly and verify North Korea's commitment to denuclearisation.
"The two Koreas will likely form a common understanding of the ways to institute peace, which could build a permanent peace regime to replace their unstable armistice regime.”
The key agenda items for the historic summit will be denuclearisation, peace building and fence-mending between the Koreas.
The diplomat said the event "will lay the cornerstone for a new start toward peace”.
They Added: "The upcoming inter-Korean summit will also be the starting point for laying the groundwork for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and a guide to help the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit through success.
"A peace regime to be instituted with the North would make it possible for the Koreas to prevent potential military conflicts on the Korean Peninsula and to have mutually prosperous economic cooperation.”
US President Donald Trump has demanded North Korea get rid of their nuclear weapons.
He branded Kim Jong-Un “very honourable” but warned the
United States could walk away from talks with Pyongyang.
Mr Trump said: “We have been told directly that they would like to have the meeting as soon as possible. We think that’s a great thing for the world”.
Talking of the despot Kim, the US President said: “He really has been very open and, I think, very honourable from everything we’re seeing.
“Now, a lot of promises have been made by North Korea over the years but they have never been in this position.”
The US and North Korea have been trying to arrange a summit between Mr Trump and Kim Jong-un, which is due to be held in May or June.
The US leader hinted he would “leave the table” if the negotiations between his country and North Korea were not productive.
He said: “We’ll see where that all goes.
“Maybe it will be wonderful or maybe it won’t”.