[News Briefing] GNP chief calls for flexibility in S.Korea's policy on N.Korea after trip to Kaesong

Posted on : 2011-10-01 09:38 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST

South Korea's ruling party chief said Friday he will try to get Seoul to become more flexible in its policy on North Korea as he returned from a rare trip to a joint industrial complex in the communist nation amid strained relations between the sides.
Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the Grand National Party (GNP) had left for the factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong earlier in the day, saying it is a "politician's obligation" to break the long-running impasse in inter-Korean relations.
"I will try to change the principle in the government's North Korea policy from strict reciprocity to flexible reciprocity," Hong told reporters upon returning from the one-day trip. Hong said, however, the trip did not include talks with North Korean officials. Hong, the first chief of the conservative party ever to visit the industrial zone, said that if allowed, he will consider making another visit for political purposes in the future.
During the trip, Hong visited South Korean-run factories and met with business owners. He said he would ask the government to open talks with the North about improving the infrastructure and business conditions at the complex.
(Yonhap News)

France To Open Office In Pyeongyang (Pyongyang)
France will open an office in North Korea, to build cultural ties and help represent French aid groups working there.
The French Foreign Ministry said Thursday, that the creation of the Office of French Cooperation in Pyeongyang, is in response to Paris' decision to consider cultural and humanitarian needs in North Korea. The office will be headed by French diplomat Olivier Vaysset. His goal will be to reach out to the North Korean people in terms of language, education, and culture.
The foreign ministry in Paris adds, that Vaysset's mission, however, does not mean that France is reopening diplomatic ties with North Korea. France is one of only two EU countries, the other being Estonia, that does not have formal links with Pyeongyang.
(Arirang News)