Seoul hints at possible N. Korea summit
Source: Agencies |
February 2, 2011, Wednesday
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SOUTH Korean President Lee Myung-bak said yesterday he had high hopes for the first inter-Korean talks in months, marking a significant softening in tone and holding out the possibility of a summit with North Korea.
Tension has eased on the -divided peninsula since the two Koreas last month agreed to talks about the -bombardment of a South Korean island by Pyongyang in November, as well the sinking of a South Korean warship last March. The two attacks killed 50 people.
"I don't deny it," Lee said when asked during a television interview if progress at upcoming talks could possibly lead to a summit. "We can have a summit if needed."
The two Koreas have only held two summits, in 2000 and 2007.
Regional powers have nudged the rivals, still technically at war having signed a truce rather than a peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War, back to the negotiating table to try to defuse the crisis and pave the way for the resumption of stalled aid-for-disarmament talks.
The two sides agreed yesterday to hold preliminary military talks at the border on February 8 to set the agenda for higher-level talks, possibly at the ministerial level.
Next week's colonel-level talks at the Panmunjom truce village will be the first dialogue between the two Koreas since last September.
"We plan to start working-level dialogue and test North Korea's seriousness," Lee said. "Whether it is the six-party talks or South-North talks, North Korea must first change its position."
"I believe this is a good opportunity for North Korea, that it is engaging in dialogue with South Korea at this point," he said.
Lee's conciliatory tone and Pyongyang's appeals for talks mark a shift from the warlike rhetoric the neighbors used at the end of 2010.
Tension has eased on the -divided peninsula since the two Koreas last month agreed to talks about the -bombardment of a South Korean island by Pyongyang in November, as well the sinking of a South Korean warship last March. The two attacks killed 50 people.
"I don't deny it," Lee said when asked during a television interview if progress at upcoming talks could possibly lead to a summit. "We can have a summit if needed."
The two Koreas have only held two summits, in 2000 and 2007.
Regional powers have nudged the rivals, still technically at war having signed a truce rather than a peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War, back to the negotiating table to try to defuse the crisis and pave the way for the resumption of stalled aid-for-disarmament talks.
The two sides agreed yesterday to hold preliminary military talks at the border on February 8 to set the agenda for higher-level talks, possibly at the ministerial level.
Next week's colonel-level talks at the Panmunjom truce village will be the first dialogue between the two Koreas since last September.
"We plan to start working-level dialogue and test North Korea's seriousness," Lee said. "Whether it is the six-party talks or South-North talks, North Korea must first change its position."
"I believe this is a good opportunity for North Korea, that it is engaging in dialogue with South Korea at this point," he said.
Lee's conciliatory tone and Pyongyang's appeals for talks mark a shift from the warlike rhetoric the neighbors used at the end of 2010.
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