Seoul, February 26 (QNA) – South Korea confirmed on Thursday that it will continue its efforts for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rejected any dialogue with Seoul.

The South Korean presidential office said in a statement that its government will continue its efforts to open a future of shared prosperity in which the two Koreas can peacefully coexist, adding that the South and the North should refrain from hostile and confrontational rhetoric and build a foundation of mutual respect and trust.

The presidential office’s response came after the North Korean leader, at the conclusion of the main party conference, rejected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s peace initiatives, describing the South Korean offer as “deceptive.”

In contrast, the North Korean leader left the door open to the possibility of talks with Washington, saying that his country would have no reason not to engage in dialogue with Washington if it abandoned what Pyongyang calls “hostile policy.” (QNA)