South Korea’s top diplomat on Wednesday said that North Korea demolishing its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon for some sanctions relief could still be a “valid” starting point in resuming denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the U.S.

“Washington and Seoul share a common end-goal -- the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula -- but there are many different ideas on how to reach that goal,” Ko Yunju, Director-General for North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), said at a virtual seminar hosted by East West Center and Korea Press Foundation. He added that there had been a lot of talk in the government about the need for an interim agreement with North Korea.