ID :
101239
Wed, 01/20/2010 - 02:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/101239
The shortlink copeid
S. Korean FM says N. Korea making unreasonable demands
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean foreign minister dismissed Tuesday
North Korea's demand to start discussing a formal end to the Korean War before it
returns to nuclear talks, saying such negotiations will only take place after the
communist state starts to denuclearize.
Speaking at a North Korea forum here, Minister Yu Myung-hwan said the North's
stance on inter-Korean relations is "hard to understand."
"North Korea has taken stance that is hard to understand," the minister said, "by
issuing a statement from a National Defense Commission spokesman that launched
serious threats against (South Korea)...while agreeing to accept our humanitarian
aid and hold working-level talks on the Kaesong industrial complex."
In a statement carried Friday by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency,
the North Korean defense commission, headed by leader Kim Jong-il, threatened to
suspend all inter-Korean dialogue and exclude Seoul from any multilateral talks,
accusing South Korea of plotting to take it over in the event of a crisis.
The accusation followed reports that South Korea has developed a contingency plan
in case of a sudden regime collapse in the North.
On the same day, Pyongyang accepted Seoul's offer to provide 10,000 tons of corn
as humanitarian aid. Officials from the divided Koreas also began a two-day
meeting earlier Tuesday at the joint industrial complex in Kaesong, a North
Korean border city.
Yu said his country will continue to use bilateral dialogue in dealing with
Pyongyang to help bring it back to the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear
program.
"North Korea's denuclearization is a subject that cannot be ignored in
inter-Korean ties," he said in his keynote speech.
"That is why we have repeatedly said that we will help North Korea overcome its
economic crisis and significantly improve South-North ties if North Korea
expresses a firm decision to give up its nuclear ambitions," the minister added.
North Korea has boycotted the nuclear talks since December 2008 and said in April
that it had permanently quit the negotiations, which also involve South Korea,
the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.
A special U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, Stephen Bosworth, traveled to
Pyongyang last month in an attempt to bring the communist nation back to the
negotiation table.
The South Korean minister said the visit by the U.S. envoy made some "positive
progress" in that the sides agreed on the need to resume the six-nation talks,
but noted they failed to set a specific date for the North's return to the talks.
"The government is working closely with other countries, including the U.S. and
China, for the North's return to the six-party talks," Yu said. "However, it is
still not clear when or how North Korea will return to the six-party talks as
there was no specific agreement between the U.S. and North Korea on the
resumption of the negotiations."
(END)
North Korea's demand to start discussing a formal end to the Korean War before it
returns to nuclear talks, saying such negotiations will only take place after the
communist state starts to denuclearize.
Speaking at a North Korea forum here, Minister Yu Myung-hwan said the North's
stance on inter-Korean relations is "hard to understand."
"North Korea has taken stance that is hard to understand," the minister said, "by
issuing a statement from a National Defense Commission spokesman that launched
serious threats against (South Korea)...while agreeing to accept our humanitarian
aid and hold working-level talks on the Kaesong industrial complex."
In a statement carried Friday by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency,
the North Korean defense commission, headed by leader Kim Jong-il, threatened to
suspend all inter-Korean dialogue and exclude Seoul from any multilateral talks,
accusing South Korea of plotting to take it over in the event of a crisis.
The accusation followed reports that South Korea has developed a contingency plan
in case of a sudden regime collapse in the North.
On the same day, Pyongyang accepted Seoul's offer to provide 10,000 tons of corn
as humanitarian aid. Officials from the divided Koreas also began a two-day
meeting earlier Tuesday at the joint industrial complex in Kaesong, a North
Korean border city.
Yu said his country will continue to use bilateral dialogue in dealing with
Pyongyang to help bring it back to the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear
program.
"North Korea's denuclearization is a subject that cannot be ignored in
inter-Korean ties," he said in his keynote speech.
"That is why we have repeatedly said that we will help North Korea overcome its
economic crisis and significantly improve South-North ties if North Korea
expresses a firm decision to give up its nuclear ambitions," the minister added.
North Korea has boycotted the nuclear talks since December 2008 and said in April
that it had permanently quit the negotiations, which also involve South Korea,
the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.
A special U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, Stephen Bosworth, traveled to
Pyongyang last month in an attempt to bring the communist nation back to the
negotiation table.
The South Korean minister said the visit by the U.S. envoy made some "positive
progress" in that the sides agreed on the need to resume the six-nation talks,
but noted they failed to set a specific date for the North's return to the talks.
"The government is working closely with other countries, including the U.S. and
China, for the North's return to the six-party talks," Yu said. "However, it is
still not clear when or how North Korea will return to the six-party talks as
there was no specific agreement between the U.S. and North Korea on the
resumption of the negotiations."
(END)
