Unification ministry reaffirms 'realistic, practical' approach to denuclearization

The unification ministry reaffirmed its stance Monday on seeking "realistic and practical" solutions to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, focusing on halting North Korea's nuclear programs.

"The ministry's position has not budged from seeking a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community," Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, said at a regular briefing.

"Given the gravity of North Korean nuclear issues, we will focus on halting North Korea's nuclear programs, and seek to find realistic and practical solutions," he said.

His remarks came in response to a statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, carried by the Korean Central News Agency earlier in the day.

She rejected outright a joint statement released Saturday after the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, which reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea.

North Korea's "nuclear capability will be updated steadily without a momentary stagnation," she said.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-you ...