On fifth anniversary, South and North still quarrelling over May 24 Measures

Posted on : 2015-05-25 16:20 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Seoul saying dialogue must come before sanctions can be ended; Pyongyang calling for immediate lifting

North and South Korean government remained locked in a tense standoff over the May 24 Measures on their fifth anniversary Sunday.

While Seoul called for dialogue between governments, Pyongyang first demanded the lifting of the sanctions, which were imposed after the ROKS Cheonan warship sinking in 2010.

In a statement released on May 24, the South Korea Minister of Unification said it had “repeatedly expressed that if North Korea agrees to our proposal for dialogue between South and North, we will discuss various issues, including the May 24 Measures, and attempt to establish common ground.”

“Part of this process will include eliciting responsible measures from North Korea,” it added.

The ministry also said it had “not changed in our position that lifting the May 24 measures will require responsible steps from North Korea that the South Korean public can accept on the torpedo sinking of the ROKS Cheonan.”

It went on to say it would continue pursuing inter-Korean exchange and cooperation while the measures remain in place.

“We intend to actively support the many forms of cultural, historical, and athletic exchange currently being pursued at the civilian level for this year’s 70th anniversary of Korean independence and division,” it added.

Pyongyang demanded an unconditional lifting of the May 24 Measures before any dialogue between governments.

“The May 24 Measures are a hostile action contrived on the basis of the fabricated Cheonan sinking, and any results based on an unjust foundation will be unjust,” the National Defense Commission Political Bureau said in a statement on May 24. In addition to calling for the measures’ lifting, it also demanded a joint investigation into the sinking.

“The May 24 measures are a product of political conspiracy that should be thrown in the cesspit of history,” the North Korean National Defense Commission Political Bureau added.

They went on to say South Korean authorities should “stop wasting time griping about how dialogue needs to come before the measures are lifted.”

By Kim Ji-hoon, staff reporter

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