Republic of Korea's presidential front-runner, Park Geun-hye, promised on Monday a new policy of engagement with Pyongyang and said she would be willing to hold a summit with Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In an apparent effort to distance herself from the hard-line policy of current President Lee Myung-bak, who belongs to the same ruling conservative party, Park said she would seek a more "balanced" relationship with Pyongyang.

"In order to build trust, we need to open various channels of communication," Park, a conservative, told a televised news conference in Seoul. "Various channels of dialogue must be kept open to build trust. I will meet with the DPRK leader, if it helps improve inter-Korean relations."