'Denuclearization remains consistent goal of international community'
The South Korean government said Tuesday it hopes Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea, along with broader exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang, will contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Xi visited Pyongyang from Monday through Tuesday, holding summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two sides repeatedly emphasized the importance of their strategic relationship, but made no mention of denuclearization.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula "is the consistent goal of the international community, as confirmed by multiple UN Security Council resolutions," adding that Seoul "will steadfastly uphold that goal."
Park also said China has reaffirmed that its position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged, noting that North Korea's denuclearization was confirmed as a shared objective at last month's US-China summit.
The South Korean government communicated with China through diplomatic channels ahead of the Beijing-Pyongyang summit regarding Xi's visit.
However, China has recently favored the phrase "peace and stability" over "denuclearization of North Korea" or "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in official settings — a shift Seoul is monitoring closely.
A Foreign Ministry official said broad-based communication has continued, and noted that China told Seoul during a previous summit that its Korean Peninsula policy "is continuous and unchanged." Seoul intends to keep engaging Beijing on the matter, the official added.
moone@heraldcorp.com
