SEOUL -- South Korea hopes to push for the disarmament of conventional weapons with North Korea in parallel with denuclearization, a senior presidential official said, touting a new deal forged at an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang as a "concrete and innovative" step.
Conventional disarmament will be discussed between the two Koreas as it promotes denuclearization, Yoon Young-chan, a senior presidential secretary, told reporters in Seoul Thursday. "The disarmament of conventional weapons is also desirable for denuclearization."
He said North Korea leader Kim Jong-un's fresh commitment made at the third summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday in Pyongyang opened a "new process" to achieve irreversible denuclearization.
"I think a new process is under way, supported by all the countries involved," Yoon said, adding Moon would continue his role as a go-between to speed up talks between Washington and Pyongyang during his U.S. trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Kim agreed to permanently dismantle an engine test site and a launch pad at its Sohae ballistic missile base in Dongchang-ri in the presence of foreign experts. He also promised to consider shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear complex with facilities to produce weapons-grade plutonium if the United States takes corresponding measures.
"We can not be optimistic, but it is clear that a new future will be created," Yoon said. "It's hard to say definitely but we are taking a concrete and innovative first step toward an irreversible and irrevocable state."
The Pyongyang deal won a positive public reaction in South Korea. A quick opinion survey of 501 adults, conducted by Realmeter, a Seoul-based pollster, found that 56 percent supported active inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges even before North Korea completed denuclearization while 29.1 percent supported gradual steps.
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