WORLD> Asia-Pacific
ROK resorts to peaceful solution to nuclear issue
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-30 21:30

SINGAPORE - South Korea will work to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula peacefully through close consultation with members of the six-party talks and the international community, South Korea's Minister of National Defense Lee Sang Hee said here on Saturday.

Speaking at the 2009 Asian Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) , Lee said that the South Korean government will do all it can to help the six-party talks take its place as a multilateral security cooperative body in Northeast Asia.

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"We ask for your active support as the United Nations Security Council and the international community take proper measures against DPRK's wrong doings so that it would give up its nuclear developments and return to the six-party talks frame as soon as possible." Lee said.

In his speech Lee called for the building of an "Asia-Pacific Security Community" to enhance the range of cooperation and problem-solving capabilities in the region.

In this regard, Lee proposed to further vitalize existing regional multilateral security consultative bodies such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Shangri-La Dialogue, and to develop the multilateral security consultative bodies existing at the subregional level and work to organically link these bodies.

Lee is in Singapore for the annual Asia Security Summit, which is held from May 29 to 31. The summit brings together about 22 ministerial-level guests, along with parliamentarians, military leaders and security experts from more than 27 countries and regions for discussions on regional security issues and defense cooperation.