S. Korean president says securing co-op with Iran for denuclearized peninsula

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's President Park Geun-hye said her landmark visit to Iran was an opportunity to secure a room for cooperation with the Persian country in denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, local media reported on Wednesday.

Park made a three-day visit to Iran from Sunday to hold a summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. She became the first president of the ROK to visit the Middle East country since Seoul and Tehran set up diplomatic ties in 1962.

"This visit's meaning would be the securing of a room for cooperation with Iran on the Korean Peninsula denuclearization issue," Park said during a meeting with press corps on the flight from Tehran to Seoul on Tuesday (Iran time).

Park said it was very rare and meaningful for Iran to clearly and publicly express its position about the peninsula's denuclearization issue in consideration of the very amicable relations that Iran traditionally had with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Rouhani expressed his country's opposition to nuclear development on the Korean peninsula during a joint press conference on Monday after a summit meeting with Park.

Park noted that President Rouhani strongly voiced his opposition to any nuclear development and publicly expressed his support for peaceful reunification on the peninsula, saying he repeatedly stressed his opposition to any security instabilities on the peninsula.