SEOUL, Aug 18 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday expressed hope for a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, stressing that such a meeting, if held, may help bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap News Agency reported.
"If realised, it is expected to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and to a shift toward a phase of inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation," a ministry official told reporters.
It is also the ministry's "consistent" position on any potential summit between North Korea and the United States, the official added.
The remarks came after Trump said on Monday (US time) that the North Korean leader had responded to his overture for dialogue, a day after he ordered a substantial reduction in South Korea-US military exercises, which was seen as a conciliatory gesture towards Pyongyang.
Asked to elaborate on his exchange with Kim, Trump described it as "very positive," without providing further details.
On the potential resumption of dialogue, the ministry official said Seoul was ready to serve as a "pacemaker" in helping to facilitate it, adding that there would be "various ways" to fulfil that role, including through a peace envoy.
The ministry would continue close consultations with relevant government agencies to further develop the pacemaker plan, the official said.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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