Seoul (South Korea), May 14: Unification Minister Lee In-young urged North Korea on Thursday to come back to the negotiating table for denuclearization talks, saying the upcoming summit meeting between Seoul and Washington will serve as a "big turning point."
Lee also said he "positively assesses" the outcome of Washington's policy review on North Korea during his opening speech at a seminar in Seoul.
"On the occasion of the upcoming summit, we hope North Korea comes back to the negotiating table to seek realistic and concrete solutions, and we will also put in all efforts to use this opportunity to push for an early resumption of talks between the U.S. and North Korea," he said.
President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit Washington next week for a one-on-one summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which the two sides are expected to have in-depth discussions on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"(The Biden administration) has stressed a 'diplomatic solution' and 'calibrated, practical' approach in the process of achieving its goals and has made clear its commitment toward realistic problem-solving using a stepped-up approach that goes beyond the limitations of the previous administration," Lee added.
The U.S. announced the conclusion of its North Korea policy review on April 30. U.S. officials have said that the Biden administration will pursue a "calibrated, practical" approach toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with diplomacy as a central plank of its strategy to deal with Pyongyang.
Denuclearization negotiations between the U.S. and the North remained stalled since the second summit between then U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement in Hanoi in 2019.
Source: Yonhap