ID :
25716
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 15:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/25716
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea rejects proposed visit by conservative S. Korean lawmakers
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea banned two conservative South Korean lawmakers from visiting the country amid frozen ties between the two governments, a businessman organizing the trip said Tuesday.
The North's rejection came four days after the communist state threatened to cut
even civilian ties with South Korea if its conservative government keeps pursuing
a tough policy toward the North.
Pyongyang stopped official dialogue with Seoul and evicted all South Korean
government officials from its territory about a month after President Lee
Myung-bak took office in late February, in anger at his North Korea policy.
A North Korean office dealing with cooperation programs with the South sent a fax
Monday to inform the two -- Chung Doo-un and Kwon Young-se of the ruling Grand
National Party (GNP)-- that they would not be permitted to visit the communist
state, Kim Jeong-tae, chairman of Andong Hemp Textiles, told Yonhap News Agency.
They had planned a four-day trip to Pyongyang and other tourist destinations in
the North from Wednesday next week to see the company launching the first-ever
inter-Korean joint venture in the North Korean capital.
"The North gave no specific reason for turning down their request to visit," Kim
said.
He added Pyongyang may have felt it inappropriate to invite the conservative
lawmakers at a time when governmental ties are tense.
Another GNP lawmaker, Jeong Tae-keun, cancelled his application for the trip a
few days ago because of his busy work schedule, his aide said.
Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, confirmed the report
and said Pyongyang cited unspecified "internal matters" when it turned down
their requests.
The GNP has recently been a target of intense North Korean media criticism for
its conservative view toward North Korea's nuclear, human rights and other major
issues. Pyongyang calls it a "traitorous and anti-reunification party" trying to
disrupt inter-Korean relations.
The North, however, promised to invite a third GNP lawmaker -- Kim Gwang-lim --
to the country, according to Andong's chairman.
The lawmaker was the South's top delegate to inter-Korean economic cooperation
talks as a vice minister of finance and economy under the previous liberal
government led by President Roh Moo-hyun.
About 270 South Koreans, including businessmen and politicians, plan to attend a
long-awaited ceremony to mark the completion of the plant of Pyongyang Hemp
Textiles, on Oct. 30.
The plant is a 50-50 cooperative effort between the South's Andong Hemp Textiles
and the North's Saebyol General Trading Co., with a total investment of US$30
million. The ceremony has been delayed for about two months due to deteriorating
inter-Korean relations.
Ties became more tense after a South Korean woman was shot to death while
traveling the communist country in early July. Pyongyang angered the public in
the South by refusing to apologize and cooperate in a fact-finding mission into
the death.
The North's rejection came four days after the communist state threatened to cut
even civilian ties with South Korea if its conservative government keeps pursuing
a tough policy toward the North.
Pyongyang stopped official dialogue with Seoul and evicted all South Korean
government officials from its territory about a month after President Lee
Myung-bak took office in late February, in anger at his North Korea policy.
A North Korean office dealing with cooperation programs with the South sent a fax
Monday to inform the two -- Chung Doo-un and Kwon Young-se of the ruling Grand
National Party (GNP)-- that they would not be permitted to visit the communist
state, Kim Jeong-tae, chairman of Andong Hemp Textiles, told Yonhap News Agency.
They had planned a four-day trip to Pyongyang and other tourist destinations in
the North from Wednesday next week to see the company launching the first-ever
inter-Korean joint venture in the North Korean capital.
"The North gave no specific reason for turning down their request to visit," Kim
said.
He added Pyongyang may have felt it inappropriate to invite the conservative
lawmakers at a time when governmental ties are tense.
Another GNP lawmaker, Jeong Tae-keun, cancelled his application for the trip a
few days ago because of his busy work schedule, his aide said.
Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, confirmed the report
and said Pyongyang cited unspecified "internal matters" when it turned down
their requests.
The GNP has recently been a target of intense North Korean media criticism for
its conservative view toward North Korea's nuclear, human rights and other major
issues. Pyongyang calls it a "traitorous and anti-reunification party" trying to
disrupt inter-Korean relations.
The North, however, promised to invite a third GNP lawmaker -- Kim Gwang-lim --
to the country, according to Andong's chairman.
The lawmaker was the South's top delegate to inter-Korean economic cooperation
talks as a vice minister of finance and economy under the previous liberal
government led by President Roh Moo-hyun.
About 270 South Koreans, including businessmen and politicians, plan to attend a
long-awaited ceremony to mark the completion of the plant of Pyongyang Hemp
Textiles, on Oct. 30.
The plant is a 50-50 cooperative effort between the South's Andong Hemp Textiles
and the North's Saebyol General Trading Co., with a total investment of US$30
million. The ceremony has been delayed for about two months due to deteriorating
inter-Korean relations.
Ties became more tense after a South Korean woman was shot to death while
traveling the communist country in early July. Pyongyang angered the public in
the South by refusing to apologize and cooperate in a fact-finding mission into
the death.
