SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Tuesday welcomed the New Year's speech by Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement that the government hailed Kim's speech in which the DPRK leader showed his stance that his country will continue efforts for the Korean Peninsula's complete denuclearization, the establishment of permanent peace, and the expanded development in relations with South Korea.

The statement said South Korea has maintained its position that it will sincerely implement inter-Korean agreements to develop inter-Korean ties in an epoch-making way, while making efforts to completely denuclearize the peninsula and build lasting peace.

It noted that the government will make best efforts to advance inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation to make the inter-Korean relations developed in an irreversible way, while closely cooperating with the international society for the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the settlement of permanent peace.