The Foreign Ministry said it is not appropriate to treat a South-North Korean summit and the six-party talks for the denuclearization of North Korea as mutual prerequisites.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kim Young-sun said an inter-Korean summit is in line with the principle to denuclearize the North and may be held if it facilitates a resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

However, it is not a prerequisite to the six-party talks, or vice versa. Kim said the six-way talks require North Korea to return soon in order for its disarmament.

The spokesperson also said an inter-Korean summit with a favorable outcome for the North’s disarmament would promote progress in the six-party talks. Conversely, advancement in the North's denuclearization by returning to the six-party talks would create a climate conducive for an inter-Korean summit.