South Korea has drawn up an enhanced package of incentives for the international community to entice North Korea back to talks on denuclearisation, putting hard figures on previously vague promises of aid.

The carrots would include a $40bn (￡24bn, €28bn) aid fund with input from the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and governments, South Korean officials told Goldman Sachs. There would be five free trade zones and 100 exporting companies generating $3m each. The international community would help build railways, motorways and telecommunications networks and train a modern industrial workforce of 300,000. Forests would be replanted.

Wi Sung-lac, South Korea's nuclear negotiator, also told Goldman Sachs that Pyongyang would gain security guarantees and restored diplomatic relations if it gave up its atomic weapons programme.