Seoul proposes two Koreas meet next week for official talks

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea proposed on Friday the two Koreas hold the second round of official talks next week, after Pyongyang rejected Seoul's earlier offer due to disputes over a detained South Korean worker.

"We sent a letter (on the proposal) this morning," Unification Minister Kim
Ho-nyoun said in a press briefing. "We are hoping that North Korea will respond
to our proposal."
South Korea's earlier proposal to hold the talks on Friday was not accepted.
Seoul officials were returning home after days of unsuccessful negotiations in
North Korea.
Pyongyang proposed government-level talks last month to discuss issues related to
an industrial complex jointly run with South Korea in the North's border town of
Kaesong. In the first round on April 21, North Korea demanded wage hikes and
contract revisions.
South Korea's major concern is the detained employee of Hyundai Asan Corp., the
developer of the joint park, who was arrested on March 30 on charges of
criticizing North Korea's political system.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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