Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo has vowed to maintain an airtight defense posture and also support diplomatic efforts to achieve denuclearization.

The minister spoke at the Asia Security Summit in Singapore on Saturday on the topic of "security on the Korean Peninsula and the next step."

He said that through efforts to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue via improved inter-Korean relations and diplomacy, the dark clouds of war have lifted to shine a ray of hope.

He said various ways need to be explored to assure North Korea of a bright future of peace and prosperity.

The defense chief also said it was significant that the North Korean and U.S. leader had both expressed a will to continue dialogue.

He added the process of dialogue between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is clearly different from the North Korea negotiations of the past 30 years, which were marked by successive failures.