Seoul, June 9: South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated its clear objective of achieving the denuclearization of North Korea. This statement comes at a time when a summit between Pyongyang and Beijing concluded on Monday without any public mention of nuclear issues.
Local media in North Korea reported that during the meeting in Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to enhance cooperation in various sectors. Notably, there was no discussion regarding the security of the Korean Peninsula or North Korea’s nuclear program during these talks.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, during a regular press briefing, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il stated that North Korea’s denuclearization remains a permanent and shared goal of the international community. He emphasized, “South Korea will not retreat from this goal.”
He also mentioned that China has made it clear on several occasions that there has been no change in its policy regarding the Korean Peninsula.
Referencing a meeting between the United States and China last month, Park noted, “Both countries also view North Korea’s denuclearization as a shared objective.”
The South Korean Ministry expressed hope that the increasing contacts between North Korea and China would help bring peace and stability to the region. However, they cautioned about signs of increasing military cooperation between China and North Korea.
This visit by the Chinese president also marked the first participation of Defense Minister Dong Jun, which experts in Seoul consider a significant indication. They believe this could signal growing defense cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang.
Nevertheless, officials clarified that it remains unclear whether the nuclear issue was discussed, and it is possible that some conversations occurred at a confidential level. Therefore, it would be premature to draw any conclusions.
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