[imText1]South-North High Level Cabinet Talks began in Pyongyang for the first time since last July, after North Korea’s missile launch.
On Wednesday, the second day of the meeting, both sides agreed on a general point; normalization of inter-Korean relationship through cooperation in economy and humanitarian aid.
In specific issues, however, much difference overshadows possibility of agreement. North Korean delegate and Cabinet Councilor Kwon Ho Woong, in a welcome address, emphasized necessity of resumption in humanitarian business as soon as possible. In contrast, South Korean Minister of Unification Lee Jae Jung argued for fulfillment of Feb. 13 Beijing Agreement first of all.
South Korea’s stance is to let aid to North Korea follow Pyongyang’s sincerity in denuclearization.
Minister Lee, in his keynote speech, focused on normalization of inter-Korean affairs according to changed environment around the Korean peninsula. In order to do so, he demanded North Korea to immediately restart reunion program of the separated families, build the reunion center by April and solve the issue of abductees and Korean War POW.
Particularly noteworthy is South Korean government’s introduction of abductees and POWs issue, which has been mostly neglected by the government. Of course, further negotiation of the issue between the delegates is unclear.
Also stipulated by Lee were test drive of the disconnected train crossing the inter-Korean border by the first half of this year and cooperation in natural resources development.
On the former issue, a senior South Korean official said, “Both Koreas had already agreed on test drive. We got to do something more than that in this round of talk.” By saying so, the official meant Seoul wanted to fully resume operation of both railroads connecting Seoul-Pyongyang and eastern coast of the peninsula.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s Cabinet Councilor Kwon proposed ‘immediate’ recommencement of all kinds of humanitarian programs including inter-Korean Red Cross talk. ‘Humanitarian program’ can be interpreted as aid of half million ton of rice and 350 thousands tons of fertilizers that were interrupted by the missile launch incident. Thus, North Korea offered reunion program through Red Cross intermediary in exchange of rice and fertilizer.
Nevertheless, South Korean government is determined to give rice after some noticeable progress in denuclearization is shown.
It is South Korean government’s decision to slow down aid to North Korea in order to avoid controversy back in Seoul. And only if North Korea follows the instruction of denuclearization, economic aid to the North could be justified and followed.
