DPRK's denuclearization not precondition for all ties: Seoul

Top South Korean policymaker in charge of inter-Korean relations said Tuesday that the country does not necessarily put the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as an absolute precondition for improved relations.

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo told foreign correspondents in Seoul that the government's DPRK policy does "not necessarily" put top priority on the DPRK's abandonment of its nuclear development as a precondition for all inter-Korean relations.

Even before the denuclearization, South Korea will continue private-level exchange and cooperation to lay ground for the reunification of the two sides and restore the family bond between people, the minister said.

Hong said South Korea's large-scale investment like infrastructure development in the DPRK has been restricted under the UN economic sanctions, noting that if the DPRK succeeds in denuclearization, the country can support such development and encourage investments from the international community. Endi