S. Korea calls for Pyongyang to return to Northeast Asian economic body

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's armored train crosses the Yalu River, Friday, heading home after his trip to China where he met President Hu Jintao to discuss economic development in the North, May 27, 2011. Yonhap

South Korea called for Pyongyang to return to an economic cooperation body in Northeast Asia to make joint efforts to establish peace in the region, the finance ministry said Friday.

The remark came during a virtual meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) held on the previous day. The body involving South Korea, China, Russia and Mongolia aims to develop areas near the Tumen River between China and North Korea.

North Korea quit the intergovernmental cooperation mechanism in 2009 to protest economic sanctions against the reclusive regime.

"South Korea plans to play an active role by taking a comprehensive approach to emerging issues in and out of the region, including climate change and food security," Kim Seong-wook, the deputy minister for international affairs, said during the meeting.

South Korea plans to serve as the director for a three-year term starting July 2023. (Yonhap)