Inter-Korean summit not immediate: S Korean gov't

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Amid talk of a possible summit between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Seoul's presidential office said nothing specific has been officially decided, an apparent attempt to play down snowballing expectations at home for a summit.

"Nobody can talk about a specific date for (a summit). There is currently nothing underway for a possible summit," presidential spokesman Park Sun-kyoo told reporters in a briefing, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

"But you might be witnessing that the DPRK is changing," Park said.

He also added that the mood for a summit is ripening but there is no concrete preparation currently underway, according to local media.

The remarks comes amid wide talks among high-ranking officials in Seoul of a potential summit with the DPRK, following President Lee Myung-bak's recent remark in an interview with the British public broadcaster BBC that he might be able to meet with Kim Jong- il, the DPRK's leader, within this year.

Local media here attribute his comment on changing attitudes of the DPRK to the country's apparent peace overtures, including its recent suggestion on reaching a peace treaty to replace a truce that ended the 1950-1953 Korean War, which has since left the two sides technically at war, and holding working-level military talks to possibly ease border restrictions.

The government's position is that Seoul can always meet with Pyongyang if it shows some changes to peacefully resolve nuclear issues and becomes ready to normalize inter-Korean ties, Cheong Wa Dae said, reaffirming it would not seek a summit just for summit's sake.

Meanwhile, many high-ranking government officials in Seoul predict that a summit, if held, would take place in March or April considering apparent peace overtures from the DPRK, or after local elections in early June in order to avoid potential charges that a summit is politically motivated, according to Yonhap News Agency.