Prime Minister Chung Hong-won called on North Korea on Wednesday to cooperate with South Korea and choose the path of coprosperity on the divided Korean Peninsula.

“North Korea should clearly recognize that what can guarantee its future is cooperation with us, not its nuclear programs,” Chung said in a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.

He also called on the isolated country to play a responsible role in the international community by abandoning its nuclear programs.

South Korea, the United States and other regional powers have repeatedly tried to induce North Korea to give up its nuclear programs in return for political concessions and economic assistance.

Still, North Korea has indicated it has no intention of giving up its nuclear programs as it views them as a deterrent against what it claims is Washington’s hostile policy against it.

North Korea has repeatedly vowed to develop its economy and nuclear arsenal in tandem, a dual-track policy South Korea and the U.S. have warned is a dead end for the communist country.

Bucking such disarmament calls from Seoul and the world, North Korea reasserted its vow on Wednesday to further develop its nuclear arms while putting a fresh focus on the country’s long-held military-first policy. (Yonhap)