South Korea's Unification Minister says Seoul is expecting to reach a comprehensive settlement with North Korea on the regime's denuclearization. 

In a keynote speech at a university in Seoul on Friday, Cho Myoung-gyon said the government’s direction begins with the goal of reaching "a comprehensive and package deal” with Pyongyang and gradually implementing it. 

He said it's also important to push for denuclearization and peace-building while minimizing variables that could derail those goals. 

Regarding Seoul’s efforts to facilitate denuclearization negotiations ahead of the U.S.-North Korea summit, Cho said Seoul is delivering its related stances through various diplomatic channels, including the U.S., North Korea and China, adding that it's doing its best to mediate between the various parties. 

Asked about President Moon Jae-in’s plan for inter-Korean economic cooperation, the minister said it's aimed at making the best of the Korean Peninsula's geopolitical advantages by linking it with the Eurasian continent and thus finding a solution to South Korea’s structural low-growth crisis and establishing a new growth engine. 

He said that, if the plan is realized, it will also help North Korea develop its economy and foster an atmosphere of prosperity in Northeast Asia.

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