By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
South and North Korea should work to make progress on the North Korean nuclear issue if the two sides hold a summit, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said Tuesday.
Hyun, however, did not elaborate on a date and venue for a summit between President Lee Myung-bak and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
"It will mean nothing if the nuclear problem is only mentioned during the summit talks," Hyun said during a luncheon meeting with foreign correspondents in Seoul.
"An ideal summit would be aimed at helping resolve the nuclear issue and other humanitarian problems such as repatriating prisoners of war (POWs) and South Korean abductees."
In regard to President Lee's recent remark on a possible inter-Korean summit being held this year, the minister downplayed the buzz.
"My understanding is that the President expressed our hope. It does not necessarily mean that the summit will take place this year," he said.
In an interview with the BBC last week, the President said, "I think I can meet (Kim Jong-il) within this year," which triggered speculation that an inter-Korean summit may be imminent.
"Given the current circumstances and growing hopes for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, I think those speculations are percolating," Hyun said. "But nothing (about the summit) has been determined."
So far, the two Koreas have had two summits.
In 2000, the late former President Kim Dae-jung had the first summit with Kim and laid the foundation for improved inter-Korean relations with his "Sunshine Policy" of engaging the secretive state.
Seven years later, the late former President Roh Moo-hyun held the second summit with Kim and signed the Oct. 4 Peace Declaration, which called for international talks to replace the current armistice with a permanent peace treaty.
The two Koreas technically remain at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice.
In regard to the North Korean leader's health condition, the unification minister said that he appears to be in good health.
After Kim Jong-il failed to appear at a massive parade marking the 60th anniversary of the country's foundation last August, he was rumored to have collapsed due to a stroke.
Nowadays, he is often reported to have made public appearances in an apparent attempt to downplay rumors regarding his health.