ROK: DPRK nuclear issues can be discussed bilaterally

SEOUL - Nuclear issues of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can be discussed on the sidelines of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korean foreign minister said Monday.

"North Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issues are not on the agenda for the summit, but it can be discussed bilaterally because all member countries of the six-party talks except for the North will be attending the event," Kim Sung-hwan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, told a group of ethnic Korean journalists working overseas.

He was referring to the stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. The talks, last held in 2008, involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia.

"The summit seeks to minimize the use of nuclear materials, so it can deliver a message to the North that it should give up on materials such as highly enriched uranium and plutonium," the foreign minister added.

His remarks came two weeks ahead of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit that will open here on March 26.

The two-day Summit, which will bring together 58 heads of state and international organizations, is aimed at reducing and protecting radioactive materials and keeping terrorists at bay from nuclear materials and facilities.

South Korea has extended an invitation to the DPRK to attend the global forum on the condition that the country demonstrates its commitment to denuclearization, but no official response has been made.