Pyongyang reluctant to soften on Lee gov’t : legislator
Written by Meenaa on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
Pyongyang reluctant to soften on Lee gov’t : legislator
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) — North Korea is unlikely to reverse its recent hostile actions unless the South Korean government assumes full responsibility for the erosion in inter-Korean relations, a South Korean legislator visiting Pyongyang was quoted as saying Wednesday.
Twenty lawmakers from Seoul’s Democratic Labor Party (DLP) made a five-day visit to the North Korean capital last week, with hopes of mediating a repair in frayed relations between the two Koreas. The delegation was to return to Seoul later Wednesday.
The visit came shortly after the communist North threatened to restrict passages across the countries’ shared border, further straining already tense relations.
The minority party was carrying a request by South Korea’s Vice Unification Minister, Hong Yang-ho, who asked the DLP chairman to tell North Korea that Seoul has not “completely turned away” from deals struck under Seoul’s previous liberal governments. The message is seen as an apparent effort to mend ties.
“North Korea remains very tough toward the Lee Myung-bak administration,” said vice DLP spokesman Bu Sung-hyun, quoting Rep. Park Sung-hup after their phone conversation earlier Wednesday. Park was among the 20-member delegation.
“North Korea made clear it has no intention to make necessary moves (to improve ties) until the Lee government changes its stance.”
Relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have been strained since the conservative Lee Myung-bak took office in late February.
Taking a tougher position toward the nuclear-armed state than his predecessors, President Lee has made clear on several occasions that his government will not expand inter-Korean cooperation projects until North Korea abandons all of its nuclear ambitions.
In its latest hostile move against the Lee government, Pyongyang announced last Wednesday it will partially close the inter-Korean border, which could effectively suspend operations at a joint industrial complex on the outskirts of the North Korean town of Kaesong.
The joint industrial site is seen as the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation efforts after tours to North Korea’s Mount Geumgang were suspended in July following the shooting death of a South Korean tourist there.
Among other things, Pyongyang criticizes the Lee government for refusing to carry out the two major inter-Korean deals struck under Seoul’s former administrations. The two stalled accords, struck in 2000 and 2007, call for expanded economic cooperation and reunion opportunities for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.
“Active discussions were held on implementation of the two joint agreements,” the DLP spokesperson said.
Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency also reported earlier that Seoul’s DLP and North Korea’s Social Democratic Party, which invited its counterpart to Pyongyang, held “productive discussions” on the two stalled deals.
Leaders of the two parties signed a joint statement calling for their immediate implementation after the discussion.
The two Koreas, divided and technically still at war, are both members of the six-party nuclear disarmament talks, aimed at denuclearizing the North in return for economic aid.
Established in 2002, the DLP, controlling five seats in the 299-member unicameral house, is considered the most pro-Pyongyang among South Korean political parties and has visited the North Korean capital on two other separate occasions.
hayney@yna.co.kr
