UPDATE - South Korea's president orders phased implementation of existing North Korean pacts

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM FOREIGN MINISTRY ON NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR ISSUE

By Anadolu Staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday ordered preparations for a phased implementation of existing agreements with North Korea.

"I ask the relevant ministries to prepare for a phased implementation of existing inter-Korean agreements, starting from wherever possible," Lee said after recently reaffirming his pledge to restore ties and trust with North Korea, including reviving a 2018 military tension reduction pact.

"True security lies in safeguarding peace. What we need now is the courage to steadily take steps to ease tensions while firmly maintaining an ironclad defense posture," he said during a Cabinet meeting.

Lee said that the country under his leadership will respect North Korea's current system and will not pursue any form of unification by "absorption."

South Korea will take "proactive, gradual steps" to restore the 2018 military agreement, which was signed between the two sides to reduce border tensions, he added.

North Korea, in return, last week rejected Seoul's reconciliatory moves, including dismantling propaganda loudspeakers along their shared border.

Later in the day, Lee also held talks with visiting US senators Tammy Duckworth and Andy Kim, discussing bilateral alliances and economic cooperation ahead of his first summit with Trump in Washington on Aug. 25, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Separately, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday Seoul will devise "phased denuclearization" strategy for Pyongyang, moving in sequence from "freeze to reduction to dismantlement."

“Based on close coordination between the two countries, we will create conditions for dialogue on North Korean nuclear issues and seek to resume inter-Korean and North Korea-US talks," Cho said in a parliamentary session.