North Korea’s National Defense Commission
sent a fax message to South Korea’s Blue House through
a military hotline on October 29th, reiterating its protest against the launch
of leaflets by private South Korean organizations condemning the North Korean
regime, according to Seoul’s unification ministry.
“The South let the leaflets launch on a
legal basis; it has no interest in creating the proper atmosphere, which is the
prerequisite for improving relations and opening dialogue, and is headed in the
direction of these talks being cancelled,” the message
from the North read, suggesting that hopes that the two Koreas would hold a
second round of high-level talks on October 30th are effectively dead.
North Korea went on to convey in the message that the decision to hold the talks is contingent on the South and whether or not the government will continue to adhere to its policies of non-intervention regarding the leaflets.
The date for the meeting was suggested by the
South Korean government after both sides agreed to a second round of high-level talks following the surprise visit of three top-ranking North Korean officials on
October 4th. However, the North did not respond to the invitation, and sent messages condemning the South for its failure to halt the launch
of balloons containing anti-Pyongyang leaflets on October 25th.
“We express regret that it has become
difficult to open high-level talks on October 30th as we proposed due to North
Korea’s position,” Lim Byeong Cheol, the
ministry’s spokesman, stated at a press briefing. He went on to express doubts over Pyongyang’s will to improve inter-Korean relations but remarked that the
agreement to hold the talks still “holds true.”
“We must stress again that the South Korean
government cannot intervene in the flying of these leaflets as North Korea has
demanded,” Lim pointed out. “Our
stance has consistently been that we sit down with North Korea and resolve
pending issues through dialogue, but we will not accept unreasonable demands.”
