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North Korea refuses to resume talks with South Korea
North Korea on Sunday rejected a proposal to resume stalled reconciliation talks with South Korea, while Seoul denounced the communist regime for the shooting death of a tourist that heightened tension between the divided nations.
- AP
- Published: 10:56 July 13, 2008
Seoul: North Korea on Sunday rejected a proposal to resume stalled reconciliation talks with South Korea, while Seoul denounced the communist regime for the shooting death of a tourist that heightened tension between the divided nations.
North Korea's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's proposal to restart bilateral talks was not even worth considering. It called Lee's proposal a "deceitful" tactic to avoid taking responsibility for deteriorated ties.
South Korea has criticised the North for killing an innocent civilian. However, the North has refused to cooperate in the probe, saying the 53-year-old housewife ignored a soldier's warning and tried to flee.
Tensions between the Koreans have flared since Lee, a pro-US conservative, took office in February. His government has criticised human rights abuses in North Korea and has been skeptical of offering unconditional aid to the impoverished country.
Lee is attempting to avoid taking responsibility for worsened North-South relations and mislead public opinion to resolve a crisis with deceitful remarks.
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