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North Korea wants talks to start on Sunday North Korea wants talks to start on Sunday
(4 months later)
North Korea has proposed working-level talks with South Korea to be held in a border city on Sunday as the rivals look to mend ties.North Korea has proposed working-level talks with South Korea to be held in a border city on Sunday as the rivals look to mend ties.
In another sign of easing tensions ahead of the proposed meeting, Pyongyang said in a statement that it would reopen a Red Cross communication line with South Korea in their truce village later on Friday. The North shut the communication line in March during a tense period marked by North Korean threats of war and uncompromising responses from the South.In another sign of easing tensions ahead of the proposed meeting, Pyongyang said in a statement that it would reopen a Red Cross communication line with South Korea in their truce village later on Friday. The North shut the communication line in March during a tense period marked by North Korean threats of war and uncompromising responses from the South.
The statement by an unidentified spokesman for the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which handles relations with Seoul, followed the countries' agreement on Thursday to hold talks on reopening a jointly run factory complex. The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, is due to meet the US president, Barack Obama, at a summit in California over the next two days at which the North is expected to be a key topic.The statement by an unidentified spokesman for the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which handles relations with Seoul, followed the countries' agreement on Thursday to hold talks on reopening a jointly run factory complex. The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, is due to meet the US president, Barack Obama, at a summit in California over the next two days at which the North is expected to be a key topic.
In April South Korea proposed government-level talks about the factory complex and on Thursday suggested holding ministerial talks in Seoul on Wednesday. But the North Korean statement said working-level talks were needed before any higher-level meetings "in the light of the prevailing situation in which the bilateral relations have been stalemated for years and mistrust has reached the extremity".In April South Korea proposed government-level talks about the factory complex and on Thursday suggested holding ministerial talks in Seoul on Wednesday. But the North Korean statement said working-level talks were needed before any higher-level meetings "in the light of the prevailing situation in which the bilateral relations have been stalemated for years and mistrust has reached the extremity".
The proposed talks, which Pyongyang suggested holding in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, could help ease tensions, but the North's nuclear weapons programme would not be up for debate.The proposed talks, which Pyongyang suggested holding in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, could help ease tensions, but the North's nuclear weapons programme would not be up for debate.
A key issue is finding a way to reopen the factory complex in Kaesong, which is just north of the Demilitarized Zone separating the countries.A key issue is finding a way to reopen the factory complex in Kaesong, which is just north of the Demilitarized Zone separating the countries.
The decade-old Kaesong complex, the product of an era of inter-Korean co-operation, shut down gradually after Pyongyang cut border communications and access, then pulled the complex's 53,000 North Korean workers. The last South Korean managers at Kaesong left last month.The decade-old Kaesong complex, the product of an era of inter-Korean co-operation, shut down gradually after Pyongyang cut border communications and access, then pulled the complex's 53,000 North Korean workers. The last South Korean managers at Kaesong left last month.
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