Former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young says the two Koreas have already agreed to hold summit talks.

In a meeting with journalists in Jeonju Thursday, Chung said he believes summit talks between President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will take place this year, adding that the two Koreas have previously agreed in principle to the gathering.

Chung said that all that remains is to decide on an exact date, adding that the venue for the meeting is not a fundamental issue as long as the talks are realized.

The former unification minister said he had reached a verbal agreement on the matter when he met with Kim during a visit to Pyongyang last June.

Chung also expressed hope for a third summit between the North Korean leader and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, saying that such a meeting would greatly contribute to settling the North’s nuclear standoff and establishing peace in Northeast Asia.