The daily publication of the Chosun Workers’ Party, Rodong Sinmun today declared that if Seoul were to allow an event commemorating the June 15th and July 4th inter-Korean statements to go ahead, it would help foster the atmosphere for inter-Korean dialogue. Coming just hours after North Korea cancelled today’s talks, ostensibly over the “level” of the top South Korean delegate, the Rodong piece is attracting considerable attention.
In an article entitled, “Creating an atmosphere for dialogue is an important practical problem,” Rodong Sinmun asserted, “At this time, when the conditions for the development of North-South relations are being prepared in line with our initial proposal for dialogue, the most important thing is to work actively to create an atmosphere for (dialogue).”
If an event commemorating the 1972 and 2000 join statements were to occur, the piece went on, “It would be able to foster an atmosphere conducive to North-South dialogue, and actively encourage improved relations.”
“If (the South Korean government) truly hopes for North-South dialogue and trust, they must first throw away the knife they are cradling in their hearts and stop all actions that incite their counterparts,” it proclaimed.
“Ceasing provocative actions and military threats against the dialogue partner is an essential requirement for the promotion of North-South dialogue,” it went on, stating, “If they sincerely hope for dialogue results, then they must take action to create a peaceful environment, including stopping their provocative war exercises targeting the same race.”
The publication of the piece implies that in the event talks had gone ahead, North Korea would have prioritized the holding of a commemorative event over all other agenda items.
This idea is lent weight by the fact that Kang Ji Young, the director of the secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland, was the official listed to head the North Korean delegation at today’s cancelled talks. Kang is also a member of a North Korean committee charged with “accomplishing” the tenets of the June 15th inter-Korean statement.
At the time of writing, the North Korean media had yet to report the failure of today’s planned talks.
