Park says she is ready to meet North Korea's leader without preconditions

Seoul

SOUTH Korean President Park Geun Hye said that she is willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the country's nuclear weapons programme wouldn't be an obstacle to holding the first Korean summit since 2007.

"There are no preconditions," including nuclear disarmament, for a summit between the two countries, Ms Park said on Monday at a televised news conference, warning Mr Kim should drop his nuclear pursuit in order to achieve an eventual unification.

Ms Park also urged the North Korean leader to agree to resume the reunions of families that remain separated more than 60 years after the end of the civil war that left the peninsula divided.

Relations on the Korean peninsula have been complicated by North Korea's push to develop nuclear weapons and its threats to use them against the South. In recent months there have been some signs of easing tensions. In October, North Korea sent three members of Mr Kim's inner circle to meet Ms Park's chief security adviser. That led to the first talks bet…