Six-party talks representatives from North and South fail to meet at US seminar

Posted on : 2012-03-10 18:05 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Ri Yong-ho declines overtures of his South Korean counterpart, citing recent peninsular tensions

By Kwon Tae-ho, Washington correspondent
New York- A much-anticipated inter-Korean meeting now appears unlikely to take place. The meeting was to be held at a seminar jointly hosted by the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
South Korean Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lim Sung-nam reportedly attempted to have discussions with North Korean Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong-ho at the seminar, but Ri avoided an actual meeting because of the recent worsening of inter-Korean relations over messages critical of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un that were posted at a military unit in Incheon.
Analysts are saying it was a policy misstep by senior government officials to have a government figure attend the seminar, which was initially intended as an unofficial event and Lim was not among the original invitees.
Speaking in a presentation at the seminar‘s first session on Friday, Ri said the nuclear issue “will be resolved if relations with the United States improve.”
Ri said North Korea’s nuclear development “stems from the US‘s antagonistic policies,” reiterating Pyongyang’s message to Washington at a time when both have recently been engaged in direct dialogue, with both sides announcing the terms of their agreement at the same time.
While attending the debate, Lim, South Korea‘s representative to the six-party talks on the nuclear issue, reportedly stressed that Pyongyang’s acting in accordance with the terms of the agreement reached at a third set of North Korea-US talks in Beijing recently was a “shortcut to resuming the six-party talks.”
Lim was also reported as expressing his dismay at North Korea‘s unfavorable response to Seoul’s overtures for inter-Korean dialogue. “We can discuss the Korean Peninsula peace regime [demanded by Pyongyang] once progress has been made in inter-Korean relations and the six-party talks have been reopened,” Lim was quoted as saying.
Ri reportedly responded that it would be better if South Korea followed the terms of the June 15 and October 4 declarations.

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