S.Korea President calls for end to North Korea nuclear talks

SEOUL: Talks with North Korea should not be for political show but should contribute to peace, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday at a press conference to mark his first 100 days in office.

Yoon has called for North Korea to end its nuclear weapons development and denuclearization in exchange for phased economic aid.

South Korea was not in a position to guarantee the North's security if it gave up its nuclear weapons, but Seoul does not want forced regime change in North Korea, he said.

Yoon was pressed by media on a wide range of issues including labour reform, housing shortages and recovery from recent floods after falling poll numbers and controversies over his picks for top ministers.

He said that historical disputes with Japan dating back to its colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945 could be overcome and that the two countries need to cooperate more closely on supply chain and economic security.