Did Rouhani call for North Korea to give up nuclear weapons?

Since the implementation of the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers in January and the removal of international sanctions, Iran’s old trading partners from Europe and Asia are seeking to re-establish economic ties. The arrival of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Tehran May 1, the first visit of a South Korean president since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962, not only held promising prospects for future economic relations, but could possibly have ramifications for each country's relations with North Korea.

An article headlined "Tehran, the bridge of reconciliation between the two Koreas," in Reformist Shargh Daily told about Park's historic May 2 meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The South Korean delegation reportedly included more than 200 government officials and business leaders. The two countries signed deals and memorandums of understandings in the fields of infrastructure building, energy exploration, banking and technology. Rouhani said that business and economic ties would increase by threefold from the current $6 billion a year to $18 billion.

Park also met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who praised the agreements between their two countries and called for "sustainable cooperation."

What attracted attention even in South Korean news agencies was Rouhani’s comments about nuclear weapons. "Security in the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East is important for both countries," Rouhani said. "We want peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, and on principle we are opposed to any type of weapons of mass destruction. [Iran's] desires are a world free of weapons of mass destruction, especially a Korean Peninsula and the Middle East free of weapons of destruction, especially nuclear."