North Korea has called for better ties in the New Year with South Korea after a year of tensions, which. South Korea’s defense ministry dismissed as “lacking sincerity.”
A joint New Year editorial of three leading North Korean state newspapers said on Saturday: “Confrontation between the North and South should be defused as early as possible."
The editorial, which every North Korean is required to read, also said: "This year we should start a more determined campaign to improve inter-Korean relations.”
The conciliatory gesture comes as a sheer contrast to the pugnacious language North Korea used for much of last year.
On Saturday, South Korea’s defense ministry said the North’s editorial “lacks sincerity.”
Yonhap News Agency cited a senior ministry official as saying: “Even though (the editorial) talked about the reduction in tension, it also emphasized military preparedness.”
Although the unnamed official cautioned that it’s premature to judge North Korea’s “attitude change” simply by looking at the New Year’s editorial, but said: “It’s likely a mere rhetoric and appears devoid of credibility.”