hankyoreh

Oct. 8. (by Lee Jeong-woo

By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter

The South Korean government has no plans to change its stance on North Korea policies such as the so-called “May 24 measures” sanctions ahead of a second round of high-level talks with North Korea, Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said on Oct. 8.

The message came while Ryoo was speaking at a parliamentary audit for his ministry before the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

“We’re obviously looking to use the high-level North Korean visit as an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations,” Ryoo said, referring to a delegation of core North Korean figures that visited South Korea on Oct. 4.

“But we haven’t reconsidered the principles of our North Korea policy to date, such as the May 24 measures,” he added.

The May 24 measures, which restrict inter-Korean trade and exchange, were put in place by Seoul after the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan warship. As conditions for lifting them, and reopening tourism at the Mt. Keumkang resort after the 2008 shooting death of a South Korean tourist, the South Korean government has consistently demanded an apology from Pyongyang and other “responsible preliminary steps.”

During the Oct. 4 visit by the North Korean delegation, which included People’s Army political bureau chief Hwang Pyong-so, the North agreed to a second round of high-level talks late this month. But Ryoo’s remarks make it clear the government hasn’t changed its position on the key issues.

Ryoo did leave some room for headway in the talks.

“If the senior meeting happens, we can put anything on the table for discussion,” he said.

Ryoo also answered a question from New Politics Alliance for Democracy lawmaker Kim Han-gil about whether he believed an authoritative judgment from the United Nations Security Council was needed to resume tourism at Mt. Keumgang.

“Fundamentally, I think South and North need to put their heads together to resolve it,” Ryoo said.

It was a different answer from Seoul’s past position that it would need to confirm whether money given to North Korea by resuming tourism would be considered “bulk cash” according to UNSC sanctions.

Speaking later in the afternoon, Ryoo seemed to retreat to this earlier position.

“If we have dialogue [with Pyongyang on resuming tourism], then I think we could inquire as to whether this corresponds to the UNSC [sanctions],” he said.

Seoul’s rigid stance on the May 24 measures at the audit was highlighted by calls for their lifting not just from the opposition, but from lawmakers in the ruling Saenuri Party (NFP). Among them were Kim Tae-ho, who called for a “full-scale breakthrough on the May 24 issue,” and Na Kyung-won, who called the measures “basically a skeleton now.” Another NFP lawmaker, Won Yoo-chul, called for the return of soccer matches between Seoul and Pyongyang.