By Kim Young-jin
South Korea rejected Monday a proposal by North Korea to push forward the date for a preliminary meeting aimed at paving the way for high-level military talks.
The move came after the North proposed Saturday the meeting take place today instead of Feb. 11, the date suggested by the South.
“In response to North Korea’s proposal for Feb. 1 talks, we sent a notice today saying the working-level military talks should be held on Feb. 11,” a senior defense ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
If held, they would be the first inter-Korean talks since Pyongyang shelled Yeonpyeong Island in November, killing two marines and two civilians.
The North also proposed holding a government-level dialogue at an earlier date as well, the unification ministry said, but added that Seoul is not planning on responding to that proposal at the moment.
Seoul sees the preliminary military talks as a venue to set the date and agenda for higher-level ones.
Pyongyang did not specify why it wanted the earlier date. Some speculated the regime may want to resume dialogue ahead of the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Feb. 16.
The two Koreas have agreed in principle to hold high-level military talks to ease tensions that have flared in the wake of Pyongyang’s shelling of Yeonpyeong on Nov. 23.
But Seoul has demanded that the North take “responsible measures” for the shelling incident and the March sinking of the warship Cheonan at the preliminary meeting first.
The North has only said it wants to discuss its viewpoint on the incidents.
Pyongyang denies involvement in the ship sinking, which killed 46, and claims it was provoked to shell the island by military drills the South says were routine.
Seoul’s defense ministry sent a message to Pyongyang last week suggesting the date as well as the venue — the border village of Panmunjeom — for the preliminary talks.
Additionally, Seoul and its allies believe the North must mend inter-Korean ties before any resumption of multilateral denuclearization negotiations.
Analysts say Pyongyang will work to resume multilateral and bilateral talks this year because it wants to secure aid in a bid to shore up the succession process underway for Kim’s youngest son, Jong-eun.
Since the beginning of the New Year, Pyongyang has been putting forth series of inter-Korean talks. The proposals had largely been rejected until the latest one.