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| Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, third from right, answers questions from reporters in Seoul, Monday, before departing for the Peace House. The two Koreas held high-level talks at the South's side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. / Yonhap |
By Lee Min-hyung
The Ministry of Unification banned a North Korean defector-turned-reporter from joining a group of South Korean pool reporters to cover inter-Korean high-level talks, citing the "unique nature" of the circumstances.
Kim Myeong-sung from the Chosun Ilbo newspaper planned to join pool reporters, but the unification ministry excluded him about an hour before their departure to the meeting place Monday morning. The meeting took place in the Peace House located on the South's side of the truce village of Panmunjeom
"We made the decision after taking various circumstances into account," Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told reporters, declining to elaborate on the specific reasons behind the decision.
The ministry, however, stands accused of causing a controversy, as the decision was not made upon the North's request.
The abrupt decision also raised eyebrows here as the notification was sent only about an hour before the pool reporters' departure for the Peace House.
Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said, "The North did not take issue with it, but the ministry made a comprehensive judgment on its own."
Critics argue that the decision apparently reflected the ministry's concerns that Kim's participation in the event could have cast a negative influence on the result of the inter-Korean dialogue.
The ministry also came under fire for its apparent low-key posture toward the North even before starting their talks.
The unification minister said he would take full responsibility for the decision, but did not give details of a dialogue with Kim before departing for Panmunjeom.
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