(LEAD) N. Korea must stop raising tension 'immediately': minister

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; RECASTS lead, headline)
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea called on North Korea Wednesday to
"immediately stop raising tension," even as the communist state continued to pour
artillery into waters off the west coast of their divided peninsula.

The firing, which prompted the South to fire cannons in response, "reflects a
very disappointing attitude on the part of North Korea," Unification Minister
Hyun In-taek said at a forum in Seoul. "Unnecessary acts raising tension must be
stopped immediately."
North Korea fired an estimated 30 shells Wednesday morning into waters north of
the Northern Limit Line that has served as a de facto maritime border with South
Korea for decades.
The communist country, which refuses to honor the line, fired another barrage of
shells in the afternoon just as Hyun made the speech calling for greater dialogue
between the divided countries.
"North Korea has recently shown conflicting attitudes, seeking confrontation and
dialogue in inter-Korean relations. But the North must pursue the direction of
dialogue and cooperation," he said.
"Tension is rising again near the NLL," Hyun said. "The North must show a level
of trust that our people (South Koreans) can accept."
In a separate meeting with reporters following the speech, the minister said
inter-Korean talks over a joint business park in the North, slated for Monday,
would go ahead as planned between the sides.
South and North remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a
truce rather than a peace treaty.
(END)

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