South Korea's Unification Ministry says efforts should be directed toward achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at this point in time.

When asked about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's calls for atomic power generation capabilities and resumption of inter-Korean projects, ministry spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun said on Wednesday that it would be necessary to focus on creating the right conditions first.

In his New Year speech on Tuesday, Kim said he is willing to reopen the inter-Korean industrial park in the North's border town of Gaeseong and resume the suspended tourism program to Mount Geumgang without preconditions. He also called for state-wide efforts to resolve the country's chronic electricity shortages and for creating a capacity for generating tidal, wind and atomic power. 

Baik said the issue of the North's peaceful use of atomic power could be discussed in future negotiations on the North's denuclearization. 

Regarding the inter-Korean projects, the spokesman said the resumptions should be pursued in consultations not just between the two Koreas but also with the international community and stakeholders in the initiatives.

Asked about an inter-Korean high-level meeting mentioned by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon on a KBS program Tuesday, the spokesperson said Seoul's position on the meeting will be decided in the coming days.