N. Korea says it wants closer relations with South

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday that it wants closer ties with
the South, citing a recent cross-border family reunion event and the resumption
of traffic flows to an inter-Korean industrial complex as evidence of its
goodwill.
"We maintain an unchanging stance on building up the North-South relationship,"
the North's official Web site, Uriminzokkiri, said in a commentary.
The Web site credited the reunion event held earlier this month entirely to the
North, describing it as the "result of generous efforts" by the communist
country, adding that it also took "bold and practical measures" to reactivate the
Kaesong industrial complex.
The North, which had been openly critical of Seoul following President Lee
Myung-bak's inauguration in February of last year, has made a series of
conciliatory gestures towards the South and the international community in recent
months.
Aside from the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, held in
September for the first time in nearly two years, the North also lifted
restrictions on cargo and workers from the South traveling to the Kaesong
complex.
The commentary highlighted efforts to expand cross-border cooperation and
ultimately expedite the process of unification, describing them as "important
calls" made in accords signed by the two countries in past inter-Korean summits.
Despite the nuclear deadlock and international sanctions, the North continues to
demand that Seoul follow through with the accords of 2000 and 2007, reached
between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and then South Korean Presidents Kim
Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.
Lee, Roh's conservative successor, suspended unconditional aid to the North and
toughened up on its nuclear program.
"All people (of the two Koreas) are deseparately hoping to improve North-South
relations and achieve unification through (implementation) of the joint accords,"
The Web site said.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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