Government: "Recognizing North Korea’s nuclear status and pursuing arms reduction talks is not our official position"

[Financial News] The Lee Jae Myung administration stated on the 6th that recognizing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as a nuclear-armed state and entering into nuclear arms reduction talks is not its official position. There had been speculation that President Lee Jae Myung would seek to promote nuclear arms reduction negotiations with the DPRK.
At the full session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on the 6th, Kim Gi-hyeon of the People Power Party asked Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, "Is it the government’s official position to recognize the DPRK as a nuclear-armed state and to hold nuclear arms reduction negotiations?" In response, Cho replied firmly, "That is not the government’s official position."
Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young added that the Lee Jae Myung administration’s stance is to halt the acceleration of the DPRK’s nuclear program.
Chung warned, "The DPRK’s nuclear program is ongoing. Its nuclear capabilities continue to grow." He noted that an IAEA report indicated continued nuclear operations at Nyongbyon. Chung said, "It appears that the DPRK has extracted about 16 kilograms of plutonium."
Chung acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, explaining that unlike the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has enriched uranium only to around 60%, the DPRK has secured 90% weapons-grade uranium and is expanding facilities at Nyongbyon. He clarified, "When the president said that North Korea would not give up its nuclear weapons, the point was that we must stop this further advancement of its nuclear capabilities."

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter