By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
North Korea's nuclear dismantlement should precede negotiations to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Song Min-soon said Saturday.
Song stressed that it is ``too early'' to discuss a declaration to end the war, which was suspended with a ceasefire treaty in 1953.
He said what the parties to the truce can do now is discussing ways of creating a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. The armistice was signed by the United States, China and North Korea.
``What we can consider right now is when to start negotiations to cooperate in building a peace regime on the peninsula,'' Song was quoted by Yonhap News as saying upon arrival at Incheon International Airport from a weeklong trip to Europe.
``I'm not sure whether we can define the start of the negotiations on the peace regime as any kind of declaration. But the declaration itself would come at the very end of the negotiations,'' he said.
Song's remarks came amid discord between Seoul and Washington over when and how the declaration should be made.
Since the second inter-Korean summit on Oct. 2-4, President Roh Moo-hyun has expressed high hopes that multilateral talks involving the two Koreas, the United States and China will begin to address a formal end to the Korean War, and replace the armistice with a permanent peace treaty.
U.S. officials, however, are skeptical over the plan, stressing full denuclearization is a prerequisite to declaring the end of the war and discussing a peace regime.
In a joint declaration, Roh and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il agreed to arrange a three or four-way meeting of nations for talks to end the Korean War.
South Korea is to be excluded from a three-way meeting involving the United States, North Korea and China, Kim Young-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, was quoted by Yonhap as saying.
President Roh Moo-hyun mistakenly understood that China could be excluded, according to reports.
``Right now, our top priority is only the advancement in the denuclearization process, but some people seem to be focusing on what is coming next. It is too early to do so,'' Song said.
The two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia are discussing ways of resolving the North's nuclear weapons program. The participating nations hope Pyongyang will declare its all nuclear weapons programs by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Song said a redrawing of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea should be consulted with the United States.
He said, `` If we are to adjust the NLL, we should discuss the necessary items with the U.S. However, it would be based on our government's judgment, as it is basically South Korea that oversees the border.''
Roh said last week he does not believe the NLL is an official border, inviting public criticism.
The NLL has served as the de facto sea border between the two Koreas since it was drawn by the U.S.-led United Nations Command in 1953.