Nearly Two-Thirds of S Koreans Trust Pyongyang's Denuclearization Vows - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The number of South Koreans trusting the pledges by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to denuclearize the North has increased dramatically to nearly two-thirds following the summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held last week, The Korea Times newspaper reported on Monday.

Thus, as many as 64.7 percent of South Koreans have confidence in Pyongyang's commitment to denuclearization and maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula, media reported, citing a poll conducted by the Realmeter following the inter-Korean summit. This is an increase of 50 percent compared to a survey conducted before the meeting of two counterparts, when only 14.7 percent of South Koreans said that Pyongyang's pledges were credible.

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The latest poll has also found that just under a third of South Koreans — 28.3 percent — distrusted the North's plans, while another 7 percent were not sure about the answer.

The summit took place in the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone that separates the South and the North on Friday. During the meeting, Kim and Moon signed a joint declaration, agreeing to take measures to support international efforts aimed at denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and proceed with reunion programs for the separated Korean families.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has thawed significantly since the start of the year, leading to the organization of talks between the North Korean leader and his South Korean counterpart. On April 20, a congress of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea ruled that Pyongyang should halt all the nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missiles launches and close its nuclear testing site in the country's north.