Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said Thursday South Korea would consider holding talks with North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un at the Seoul Nuclear Summit in March.

“If he takes up an appropriate title when we hold talks with North Korea, the talks will be held with him” Kim told reporters in Seoul, after briefing President Lee Myung-bak on 2012 policy plans.

In the aftermath of the death of the North’s long-time leader Kim Jong-il on Dec. 17, his son ― believed to be in his late 20s ― took over the 1.2 million-strong military.

“At this moment, it is unclear whether he is engaging with other areas, excluding the military. So, we need to wait and see,” Kim added, taking a cautious approach.

The Foreign Ministry’s top priority in 2012 will be keeping the Korean peninsula stable, as the power transition in North Korea under untested young leader Kim Jong-un is likely to add to uncertainties, the ministry said earlier.

Moreover, the U.S., Russia and China will have leadership elections this year, adding to uncertainty on the Korean Peninsula, it said.

The six-party nuclear talks ― involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan ― have been stalled since late 2008 but Seoul will try to induce a “change of attitude” in Pyongyang to resume the multilateral talks, a ministry official said.

In March, South Korea will host the Seoul Nuclear Summit, drawing together more than 50 heads of state and representatives of international organizations including the United Nations, IAEA, Interpol and the European Union, to discuss measures to prevent nuclear terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Unification Ministry said the government will leave open the possibility of a high-level dialogue channel with North Korea in line with President Lee’s New Year address.

“To keep the Korean Peninsula peaceful and stable, the ministry will establish a South-North dialogue channel and maintain the dialogue channel as stable,” Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik told reporters, after briefing President Lee on 2012 policy plans.

If a dialogue channel is secured, South Korea could discuss all kinds of items including follow-up measures on the sinking of a warship that killed 46 South Korean sailors in March 2010 and the shelling of an island near the inter-Korean maritime border that killed two South Korean marines and two civilians in November 2010, Yu said.

“I urge the North Korean authorities’ choice and decision toward dialogue. If it takes a step in that direction, we’re ready to fully support the North in light of brotherly love,” he said.

The ministry’s possible discussions with the North also include implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration agreed between former President Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il in 2000, and the Oct. 4 declaration reached between former President Roh Moo-hyun and Kim in 2007.

Yu also said that South Korea has no immediate plans to be the first to propose a meeting with North Korea but did not rule out the possibility completely.

Lee had said in his New Year address on Jan. 2 that he would leave “a window of opportunity” open to improve relations with North Korea.

Lee said South Korea does not want the North to collapse for the South to take it over for a reunification, stressing that the South should help the North secure economic independence.

With China, the foreign ministry will facilitate high-level bilateral talks in 2012, the year that the two countries mark the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, to stably manage diplomatic issues including illegal Chinese fishing in territorial waters of the West Sea. Lee is to hold a summit with his counterpart Hu Jintao from Monday to Wednesday and discussions will likely include a bilateral free trade deal, the ministry said.

With Japan, South Korea will prioritize issues related to South Korean sex slaves who were forced to serve the Japanese military during World War II, the ministry said.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)