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South Korea calls for more talks with North in 2009
South Korea has called for further talks with North Korea in 2009, policy papers on Wednesday said.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:57 December 31, 2008
Seoul: South Korea has called for further talks with North Korea in 2009, policy papers on Wednesday said.
Relations between the two neighbours have been strained over the past year, with the North clashing with the South after free flowing aid was halted.
Seoul has instead linked handouts to progress Pyongyang made in nuclear disarmament.
"The government will sincerely urge North Korea to respond to our suggestions for inter-Korean dialogue," the Unification Ministry said in a policy plan for the new year it released with the defence and foreign ministries.
North Korea lost at least $1 billion in aid the South had been supplying each year because of the strain in ties.
South Korea's Defence Ministry has called on the United States to help bolster a response to any possible North Korean aggression.
About 28,000 US troops are in South Korea to support its 670,000 soldiers.
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