SEOUL, May 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said on Wednesday that the difference between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States over how to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula could be narrowed down.
Cho made the remarks when meeting with a European Union (EU) mission to explain Seoul's policy toward Pyongyang, according to local media reports.
The unification minister responsible for inter-Korean affairs said there remained a big difference between Pyongyang and Washington over how to make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free.
Cho noted that it would not be impossible to narrow down the difference, though it will not be easy.
Admitting that there were many difficulties yet to be overcome in denuclearizing the peninsula, Cho said Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization was clear, citing the stop of nuclear and missile tests, the demolition of a nuclear test site, and the second summit meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday.
Officials from the DPRK and the United States have reportedly been in preparatory talks for a first-ever DPRK-U.S. leaders' meeting. Expectations run high for the meeting planned to be held in Singapore on June 12 between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Cho said there had been an "up and down" last week between Pyongyang and Washington as they were unfamiliar with each other's positions, while noting that the two sides were currently negotiating.
Trump on Thursday canceled the Singapore meeting, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" displayed by Pyongyang recently, but reversed course on Friday, saying both sides wanted the meeting to happen and it could still go ahead after productive talks.