DPRK calls for delay of S. Korea-US military drills
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E-mail Xinhua, February 13, 2014
The DPRK's National Defense Commission said last Thursday that the family reunion can be reviewed if the South side's slandering of its supreme dignity continues, citing negative reports of some South Korean media on the top DPRK leader's visit to childcare centers.
The commission also repeated its call for the cancellation of the South Korea-U.S. annual military drills, saying that dialogue and the rehearsal for war of aggression can never be compatible.
Regarding the issue, the South Korean delegation said during the talks that the government cannot control local news organizations.
The South Korean delegation told their DPRK counterpart that the family reunion event to be held without a hitch will be the first step to improve inter-Korean relations, offering to build trust between the two Koreas by staging the humanitarian event as agreed.
In response, the DPRK said that South Korea should accept its earlier "important proposal" made on Jan. 16 by the DPRK's top military body, which called for the end of all hostile acts, including mutual slandering and military hostilities.
The ministry said that the two Koreas agreed to continue to consult with each other about the issues discussed at the high- level meeting.
The inter-Korean talks between high-ranking officials, which came first since May 2007, took unusually long time to end as the dialogue was held with no predetermined agenda. At the two rounds of plenary session, the two sides were estimated to focus on explaining their priority agendas, leading to reaffirm differences between the two Koreas.
Despite the differences, holding the senior-level talks itself was expected to help improve inter-Korean ties, which turned sour after the DPRK's third nuclear test in February last year and the subsequent threats of nuclear strike against the U.S. and South Korea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing Wednesday, "we welcome the talks between the two sides, and wish that they yield positive results." China has always encouraged the DPRK and the Republic of Korea to improve ties and promote reconciliation via dialogue, according to Hua.
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