Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul delivers a keynote speech during a forum on peace on the Korean Peninsula at the Westin Chosun Seoul, Wednesday.

By Park Ji-won, Kim Yoo-chul

The United States and North Korea are preparing for a new denuclearization agreement, according to Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, Wednesday.

"The North and the United States are preparing for a new agreement based on the results of the Hanoi summit between their leaders," the minister said at the start of a forum titled "Korea Global Forum for Peace," held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, and cohosted by the ministry and the Sejong Institute, a local think-tank.

Kim stressed nuclear negotiators from Seoul, Washington and Beijing are exploring ways to narrow the stances of the two and restart multilateral nuclear diplomacy before a possible third North Korea-United States summit.

According to Kim, Washington and Pyongyang "need a certain period of time to narrow technical differences, but more specifically, it is important for them to resume talks as soon as possible."