Pyongyang, December 15 (KCNA) -- The chief delegate of the south
side to the first round of the north-south authorities' talks at a press
conference in the Kaesong Industrial Park right after the rupture of
the talks on Dec. 12 said the south approached the negotiations with
sincerity after advancing various proposals but the north side created
difficulties in the way of the talks by calling for the simultaneous
solution of the resumption of tour of Mt. Kumgang and the issue of
"separated families".
The south Korean authorities even let conservative media float story
that the "north was only concerned for the resumption of the tour of
Mt. Kumgang, money box", malignantly slandering the north and giving
impression that it was to blame for the rupture of the talks.
A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of
Korea in a statement on Tuesday branded this as an intolerable and
serious provocation against the dialogue partner.
The talks that were provided with much effort amid expectation and
concern of all the Koreans ended without any fruit. This was an
inevitable result of the confrontation policy of the south Korean
authorities who are interested in neither genuine dialogue nor the
improvement of the relations, the statement said, and went on:
In fact, we were of the view that things can hardly be settled even
though we sit face to face with the south Korean authorities who are
keen on the moves for escalating confrontation in total breach of the
August agreement. But the south side earnestly called for the
authorities' talks, saying any issue can be discussed once they are
opened. Our idea was to trust them and sit with them first and then
solve issues that are deemed urgent and easy in the bilateral relations.
So, we, stressing the need to create the atmosphere of dialogue for
improving the bilateral relations, proposed resuming the tour of Mt.
Kumgang and settling the issue of separated families and relatives,
urgent issues about which all the Koreans are concerned, and
reactivating exchanges in various fields.
But the south side raised
lots of unimportant issues which are not helpful to the improvement of
the north-south relations in wanton violation of the agreement made at
the technical contact for the authorities' talks on seeking negotiated
settlement of pending issues between the north and the south, thus
deliberately creating difficulties and obstacles.
The DPRK side
proposed simultaneously pushing forward and implementing the issues of
the resumption of tour and the separated families and relatives as the
south side shunned the discussion of the resumption issue but the south
side flatly turned down discussion of the tour issue, saying that "it is
principle not to link the issue".
We even allowed the extension of
the talks, persuading the south side and showing magnanimity, but the
south side insisted that it can never agree on resuming the tour, thus
pushing the talks into a rupture.
What's more, the south Korean
authorities now talk loudly in public that it proposed the issue of
"three channels". It had better look back on whether it has face to
talk about "channel" as it blocked all the wide avenues that were
created in the June 15 era and now goes mischievous not to open even
such small channel as tour.
The talks clearly proved that as long as
the south Korean authorities persist in dependence on outsiders and
moves for confrontation with fellow countrymen, the north-south
relations can never make even a step forward and that even though
dialogue is held, nothing will be settled. -0-
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