South Korea dismisses the North's latest offer for an early resumption of talks as part of fence-mending efforts to defuse rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
"It's hard to consider it as a sincere offer of dialogue," said South Korean Unification Ministry's spokesman Chun Hae-Sung on Monday.
Pyongyang on Saturday announced that it is ready for "unconditional and early" talks with Seoul within weeks to ease the growing tensions on the fractured peninsula.
Tensions have been high on the Korean Peninsula since a November 23 exchange of artillery fire which left four South Koreans, including two civilians, dead -- the first shelling of a civilian area in the South since the end of 1950-53 Korean War.
The crisis further deepened over rounds of joint military drills South Korea held with the United States despite threats of retaliation from Pyongyang.
In its latest offer for talks, Pyongyang said that North Korean officials would reopen a liaison office for economic cooperation at the North's Kaesong City as a "measure of good faith."
"There is neither conditionality in the North's proposal for dialogue nor need to cast any doubt about its real intention," read the statement by the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea.
But, South Korean official said on Monday that the communist country should first show its "sincere attitude" about denuclearization and the November shelling.
"Pyongyang must show seriousness about denuclearization," Chun said. "The door for dialogue is open if North Korea shows a sincere attitude."
"North Korea must also take responsible steps our people can accept," AFP quoted Chun as saying.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment