S. Korea vows efforts for better inter-Korean ties

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The South Korean government will make efforts to keep alive the current reconciliatory mood between the two Koreas to improve inter-Korean ties and bring peace to the divided peninsula, the South's point man on North Korea said Wednesday, Yonhap reports.

Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon's remarks came one day after the government announced that South and North Korea have agreed to hold a summit in late April in the wake of South Korean special envoys' trip to the North.

"The government will utilize the current momentum to develop inter-Korean ties in a stable manner and bring peace to the Korean Peninsula," Cho said in a congratulatory speech at an event hosted by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (KCRC), the country's major pro-unification group.

The minister's prepared text was read by Kim Nam-jung, the head of the ministry's unification policy office.

Cho said that the latest inter-Korean agreement is the hard-won, precious outcome made by the two Koreas after long years of chilly ties.

He expressed hope that the KCRC would play a key role in seeking civilian exchanges and cooperation with North Korea.

Kim Hong-gul, the head of the KCRC, said that he will not hesitate to visit North Korea to open the door for civilian inter-Korean exchanges.

"I will do my best to make the agency become a stepping stone for better relations between the two Koreas," he said.