Both South Korean National Assembly Speaker Park Khan-young and Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo Tuesday stressed peaceful solution of the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

During the meeting between Park and Wu who arrived in Seoul Tuesday afternoon on an official goodwill visit to the Republic of Korea, they exchanged views on the DPRK nuclear issue.

Park spoke highly of China's efforts to solve the nuclear issue through dialogue and in a peaceful way, and praised China's important and active role of coordination in the six-party talks in Beijing last week.

Park said South Korea's long-term objective is peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. He said the priority at present is to maintain the stability of the peninsula and solve the nuclear issue peacefully. He expressed the hope that China will continue to support South Korea's such stand.

In response, Wu expounded China's principled stand on the DPRK nuclear issue.

He said China's objective is to maintain the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and that China's role is to persuade parties concerned to peacefully resolve the issue to promote their talks.

Wu said the six-party talks in Beijing were helpful, which constituted a major step forward in peacefully solving the nuclear issue.

He said South Korea has also played a unique and active role in this respect.

The Chinese side is willing to join hands with South Korea and other parties concerned to continue to promote the process of peaceful solution of the nuclear issue, Wu said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2003)