President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed the need to ease international sanctions against North Korea when its denuclearization is deemed to have reached an irreversible stage.

Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said that Moon made the remarks during summit talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential Elysee Palace.

The president asked France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to spearhead the move to ease sanctions when conditions are met. 

Moon told Macron that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered to completely dismantle his regime's nuclear weapons and material as well as nuclear facilities. Moon said that Kim told him that he is willing to take those steps if the U.S. takes corresponding measures. 

In a joint news conference after the summit, Moon called for an "active role" by the UN Security Council to accelerate the North's denuclearization and convince Pyongyang that it made the right choice. 

Macron emphasized the need to maintain international sanctions on the North, adding France has repeated its support of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the communist state. 

He expressed hope that North Korea will continue to take substantial measures to dismantle its nuclear program and vowed its continued support for Seoul's efforts to establish peace on the peninsula.