South Plans Immediate Reply on Talks

The South Korean government said that it would propose this week to North Korea to resume dialogue sometime in mid-September, despite the parliamentary repudiation of Unification Minister Lim Dong-won on Monday.

"It is the position of our government that the dialogue should be an extension of the fifth inter-Korean ministerial talks that were canceled unilaterally by North Korea," a senior South Korean government official said Monday. "We will notify the North Korean authorities of our decision through Panmunjom sometime this week."

In a follow-up Monday to Sunday's radioed message proposing resumption of inter-Korean dialogue, North Korea sent the same message in text through the liaison office at the truce village of Panmunjom.

Seoul officials stressed that the delegation to the resumed dialogue will be led by a ministerial-level official. Political watchers suggested that Mr. Lim, if he is dismissed or resigns, may lead the dialogue in the capacity of special presidential envoy, as he did at last year's inter-Korean summit. Mr. Lim was the only government official to accompany President Kim Dae-jung in the closed-door meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.

Government officials expressed reservations over the fact that the proposal was issued in the name of the vice chairman of the North's Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, not that of Jon Kum-jin, the chief North Korean delegate to the ministerial talks.

by Lee Young-jong