Citing the South Korean government’s response to Saturday’s leaflet launch by a private activist group, the North Korean National Defense Commission announced
its reconsideration of plans for a second round of high-level talks between the
two Koreas. The message came on October 26th and was verified on October 27th.
“North Korea conveyed the message through
the military communications line on the west coast and the Blue House
Office of National Security received the transcript ,”
the Ministry of Unification revealed in a statement.
These second thoughts were brought on by the South Korean government’s failure to intervene and stop
the cross-border daytime launch of anti-regime leaflets last Saturday in Paju by a private organization in the South. Due to public safety concerns after citizens clashed with the activists police cancelled the event, but many of the leaflet organization’s members succeeded in launching the balloons containing the leaflets from the Gimpo area at night instead.
“You have showed us that you blatantly
disregard consideration for our demands that intended to improve relations
between North and South Korea,” the message stated. “We will have to think about if high-level talks can take place in
this climate.”
This is expected to be employed by the
North as pretext for why it does not support the second rounds of inter-Korean
talks scheduled for October 30th.
“The fact remains that there is no legal
basis for government intervention in the activities of these civic groups,” South Korea’s Office of National Security
responded on the same day. “North Korea should clarify its stance on the second
round of high-level talks the South and North have already agreed on and what
its position is on the time and venue that we have proposed.”
