South Korean president says peace talks with North Korea still 'incomplete'

ANKARA

South Korean president on Monday vowed to continue peace talks with North Korea despite the current missile test race in the Korean peninsula.

Speaking at the parliament, Moon Jae-in said he will continue dialogue and diplomacy to achieve peace and prosperity in the region, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Peace talks with North Korea are still "incomplete" despite three inter-Korean summits and a historic summit between the United States and the North, the president said.

He also termed his country's launch of its first indigenous space rocket last week a success.

"When we take one last step, we can put our satellite into orbit with our own launch vehicle," the agency quoted Moon as saying.

On Thursday, South Korea conducted its first indigenous space launch from the country's southern coastal area launchpad that flew to a target altitude of 700 kilometers (435 miles). However, it failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit.

The South Korean launch came just two days after North Korea test-fired its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Pyongyang confirmed on Wednesday that it had launched an SLBM the day before, the country's first underwater test since 2019.

North Korea’s eighth missile test this year and fifth since September comes as Pyongyang pushes back against what it sees as “hostile policies” of the US and South Korea.

Meanwhile, Seoul's top nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk on Monday said that his country along with Washington has no hostility against North Korea and is ready to move to the dialogue table.

"The end-of-war declaration can be seen as the most symbolic measure that shows (the allies) harbor no hostile policy against North Korea," Yonhap News Agency quoted Noh as saying while addressing a forum in Seoul.

"I believe (the declaration) can provide important momentum to restart dialogue with the North."

On Sunday, Noh has met with his American counterpart Sung Yong Kim in Seoul and discussed how to resume dialogue with North Korea.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid