Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck says he is confident that North Korea will drop its nuclear ambitions for its economic development and security.

Speaking at a South Korean investment seminar in London, Lee said Thursday that Pyongyang will eventually realize that possessing nuclear arms will only hamper its economic development and threaten its security.

Lee also expressed optimism over the next round of six-party nuclear talks, saying the North's nuclear impasse can be resolved if the participating countries exert their best efforts to work out a compromise with patience and flexibility.