Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan is urging North Korea to respond to President Lee Myung-bak’s invitation to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to attend an international nuclear summit next year.

Kim said Wednesday morning at a special seminar for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit that if North Korea is truly committed to denuclearization, the summit would serve as a good opportunity for the reclusive nation to join the international community and achieve national development.

The foreign minister also raised concerns over the safety of North Korean nuclear facilities, calling it a serious issue from the perspective of South Korea’s national security.