SEOUL - President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Park Geun-hye on Friday asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to provide assistance for resuming dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Park and Ban made a telephone call to exchange New Year's greetings, according to the ROK presidential office.
Park said she anticipates Ban's support to tackle various issues together with the UN, such as the resumption of inter-Korean talks, the fundamental improvement in inter-Korean ties by resolving the DPRK's nuclear issue and an expanded assistance to DPRK people for their higher quality of livelihood.
In response, Ban said he will make his best efforts to provide necessary assistance as a UN chief to help improve situations on the Korean Peninsula.
When the ROK Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae proposed a high-level dialogue with the DPRK on Monday, Ban issued a statement of support for the dialogue offer. Park expressed her gratitude for the statement during the phone call.
In his New Year's address, top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un made an apparent offer to hold a summit with President Park, saying "there is no reason not to hold the highest-level talks" if atmosphere and environment are formed.
In response to it, Seoul said it can hold all forms of dialogue with Pyongyang, urging the DPRK to first respond positively to the ROK's offer on Monday to hold senior-level meetings to discuss all issues of mutual concern.
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