South Korea has called on the North to give up its nuclear arms.
In a keynote address at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva Wednesday, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul said South Korea cannot recognize the nuclear status of the North.
"It should be clearly pointed out that (South Korea) cannot recognize the nuclear status of North Korea and that such dreams are anachronistic." Cho argued that the North is known for its blatant nuclear proliferation and it won't win nuclear status from the international community.
He said annual military drills with the United States that have drawn heavy criticism from the North for being a rehearsal for a nuclear war are strictly defensive.
He said in effect, Pyongyang is the source of nuclear threats.
At a UN human rights meeting in Geneva a day earlier, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong said that the joint exercises are a nuclear threat to the North.
South Korea also urged the North to return to denuclearization talks as soon as possible. It noted that although it may be difficult, it is time for Pyongyang to make a strategic decision, according to Korea's (KBS WORLD) The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has become an important agenda item for the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament.