Post-Terror Beefing Up Of Security Stalls Talks

Home > National > Politics

print dictionary print

Post-Terror Beefing Up Of Security Stalls Talks

MOUNT GEUMGANG, North Korea - Renewed ministerial dialogue between South Korea and North Korea ran into immediate turbulence Friday when Pyeongyang said the talks could not progress until Seoul explained why it stepped up security measures after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Meeting at the Mount Geumgang Motel, the two sides failed to get beyond their opening speeches during the 80-minute session.

The chief North Korean delegate, Kim Ryong-song, asserted that the South's intensified security had, in effect, "targeted the North."

"When the South makes a clear-cut stance on the security measures," Mr. Kim said, "then we can discuss economic cooperation and other issues."

The chief South Korean delegate, Unification Minister Hong Soon-young, proposed in his opening statement an early agreement on scheduling a new reunion of separated Korean families and talks by the Red Cross agencies of the two Koreas to "deal fundamentally with the separated Korean families issue."

"We explained that joining in the international allied fight against terrorism is important to us," said the assistant minister for unification, Rhee Bong-jo, the spokesman for the southern delegation.

The two sides said that they would hold individual contacts throughout the night, in preparation for a second main session Saturday.

South Korean delegates said that they had expected some difficulty with the talks, which take place after the North aborted planned family reunions just four days before they were scheduled to occur. Plans for the reunion were the principal achievement of the last inter-ministerial dialogue Sept. 16 to 18 in Seoul.

"It looks like this may be the hardest negotiation of my 40-year diplomatic career," Mr. Hong said.

The southern delegation forecast, however, that the North would be more cooperative during the next three days, as Seoul's provision of 300,000 tons of rice is pending. North Korea was recently turned down by Japan in its request for food aid.



by Lee Young-jong

Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)