ID :
27775
Fri, 10/31/2008 - 18:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/27775
The shortlink copeid
Seoul minister pleads with civic groups over leaflets
By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's unification minister said Friday his government will continue to persuade local civic groups to refrain from sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea, just days after Pyongyang threatened "resolute" retaliation.
Several families of South Koreans abducted by North Korea recently released tens
of thousands of anti-communist leaflets attached to balloons near the
Demilitarized Zone on country's east coast.
"The government has recommended suspending the move in consideration of the 2004
agreement," Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong said in a speech at Ewha Women's
University, referring to an inter-Korean deal banning propaganda warfare.
"Spreading pamphlets is not helpful to improving inter-Korean relations. If
(these groups) stop doing this, North Korea will be less irritated, and I believe
they will return to the negotiating table."
The North threatened in military talks early this month to sever all ties with
South Korea if it did not take immediate action to halt the dispersing of
flyers. In a statement Tuesday, the Stalinist state warned its army will
otherwise take "resolute practical action."
Seoul has tried to persuade local groups to stop sending the leaflets, but has no
legal authority to prevent them from doing so.
According to the Unification Ministry, North Korea has kidnapped 487 South Korean
citizens and are still holding 540 prisoners of war. The North denies the
charges.
Since the inauguration of South Korea's conservative Lee Myung-bak administration
in February, Pyongyang has cut off most of its official dialogue channels and
heavily criticized Lee's North Korea policies, which are decidedly harsher than
those of past liberal governments.
Kim, however, argued that Lee Myung-bak administrations policy toward North Korea
is not tough.
"Our policy pursues co-existence and mutual prosperity between the two Koreas,
based on pragmatism and productivity," he said.
He countered criticisms that Lee's North Korea initiative, called
"Denuclearization, Openness, 3000," is unrealistic. The initiative's key goals
are dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons, opening the communist state to the
international community and raising its per capita income to US$3,000.
The unification minister also stressed Seoul's readiness to start providing
assistance to the North.
"Our emphasis is on '3000,' not 'denuclearization," he said. "If the North
disables the nuclear facilities, we will begin our support programs step by step,
such as expanding the joint industrial complex and helping agricultural
innovation in the North."
The initiative does not mean waiting until after complete denuclearization, which
could take a long time, he said.
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's unification minister said Friday his government will continue to persuade local civic groups to refrain from sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea, just days after Pyongyang threatened "resolute" retaliation.
Several families of South Koreans abducted by North Korea recently released tens
of thousands of anti-communist leaflets attached to balloons near the
Demilitarized Zone on country's east coast.
"The government has recommended suspending the move in consideration of the 2004
agreement," Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong said in a speech at Ewha Women's
University, referring to an inter-Korean deal banning propaganda warfare.
"Spreading pamphlets is not helpful to improving inter-Korean relations. If
(these groups) stop doing this, North Korea will be less irritated, and I believe
they will return to the negotiating table."
The North threatened in military talks early this month to sever all ties with
South Korea if it did not take immediate action to halt the dispersing of
flyers. In a statement Tuesday, the Stalinist state warned its army will
otherwise take "resolute practical action."
Seoul has tried to persuade local groups to stop sending the leaflets, but has no
legal authority to prevent them from doing so.
According to the Unification Ministry, North Korea has kidnapped 487 South Korean
citizens and are still holding 540 prisoners of war. The North denies the
charges.
Since the inauguration of South Korea's conservative Lee Myung-bak administration
in February, Pyongyang has cut off most of its official dialogue channels and
heavily criticized Lee's North Korea policies, which are decidedly harsher than
those of past liberal governments.
Kim, however, argued that Lee Myung-bak administrations policy toward North Korea
is not tough.
"Our policy pursues co-existence and mutual prosperity between the two Koreas,
based on pragmatism and productivity," he said.
He countered criticisms that Lee's North Korea initiative, called
"Denuclearization, Openness, 3000," is unrealistic. The initiative's key goals
are dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons, opening the communist state to the
international community and raising its per capita income to US$3,000.
The unification minister also stressed Seoul's readiness to start providing
assistance to the North.
"Our emphasis is on '3000,' not 'denuclearization," he said. "If the North
disables the nuclear facilities, we will begin our support programs step by step,
such as expanding the joint industrial complex and helping agricultural
innovation in the North."
The initiative does not mean waiting until after complete denuclearization, which
could take a long time, he said.
