President Roh Moo-hyun says he believes the realization of a peace treaty for the Korean Peninsula is a key agenda item for next month's inter-Korean summit.

The president made the remarks Tuesday in response to a question at a special news conference on whether he will propose during the summit a peace treaty that would formally end the Korean War.

He said that the nuclear issue is stressed so much that it's become the public's top priority. But objectively speaking, he said, the issue is in its resolution phase, making the next stage of peace building and economic cooperation important.

Mr. Roh said that telling him to talk about nukes in Pyongyang is like asking him to pick a fight. He asked rhetorically whether the summit atmosphere would be more favorable if he stressed an issue that was already near resolution through the six-party process.

He added that he believes politicians' emphasis on the nuclear issue may be politically motivated.