SEOUL, June 8 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Conditions must be created in which North Korea does not feel it is threatened and concludes it no longer needs nuclear weapons, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Monday.

We need to create a situation where North Korea does not feel threatened... and can come to the conclusion that nuclear weapons are no longer necessary, Lee said at a press conference marking his first year in office.

If North Korea's situation is stable and Pyongyang's serious security concerns disappear, then denuclearization can be discussed, he added.

This is a long-term goal, while in the short term, at least a halt to further North Korean nuclear development must be achieved, Lee said.

The president said that the international community should not abandon the goal of denuclearization entirely, but should define short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives and conduct realistic negotiations.

In the first phase, talks could focus on halting the additional production of nuclear materials, banning their export abroad, imposing an effective moratorium, and halting the development of ballistic and intercontinental missile technologies, he added.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar