Seoul vows to seek better inter-Korean ties to speed up denuclearisation

SEOUL: South Korea will continue to push for improving inter-Korean relations to help foster denuclearisation and peacebuilding efforts on the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting the country’s unification minister.

“We will surely use the precious opportunity that has come upon us this year to realise the objectives of complete denuclearisation and establishment of lasting peace,” Cho Myoung-gyon told a forum in Goyang, north of Seoul.

“While steadily improving inter-Korean relations, we will endeavour to strengthen the virtuous cycle between denuclearisation and peace establishment,” he added.

Cho said that the military demarcation line on the Korean Peninsula is the world’s most fortified border but it is, after all, ‘human-drawn,’ which means it can also be undone by humans.

“The peace growing on the border like that will give rise to mutually beneficial cooperation.

“Not just those people living near the border for long by risking a loss caused by a division but also all the people on the peninsula will benefit from shared prosperity,” he said.

“We have experiences of stepping over borders to build peace.

“Once again, such an opportunity is standing before us,” Cho added.

He promised to work closely and communicate with local governments and civic groups in the process, calling for their cooperation in sharing views on building peace on the Korean Peninsula. — Bernama