By Jun Ji-hye
Cheong Wa Dae and the unification ministry have been issuing mixed messages regarding the government's stance on inter-Korean issues, according to a local research analyst.
When Seoul offered North Korea dialogue to resolve inter-Korean problems Thursday and then responded to Pyongyang's denunciation of this Sunday, the presidential office altered the ministry's original stance in just a matter of hours.
Following comments from the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which described South Korea's offer of dialogue as a "cunning ploy," ministry officials said, "It is premature to conclude that the North has rejected Seoul's offer."
The ministry then stated that the communist country left room for dialogue when it said "Whether to hold talks completely depends on Seoul's attitude."
Hours after this, however, Ju Chul-ki, senior secretary to the president for foreign affairs and national security, held a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae and said, "It is very regrettable that the North rejected Seoul's offer for dialogue."
A similar process happened a few days ago when Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae issued a statement calling on the North to "come to the bargaining table."
Initially, Ryoo said that he just stressed the need for conversation, signaling it was not Seoul's official offer for talks. But, soon after, Cheong Wa Dae officials shifted the government's stance and said that the minister's statement was actually an official offer for conversation, quoting President Park Geun-hye as saying, "The door for talks is always open because the Korean Peninsula trust-building process should operate, no matter how difficult the situation is."
The following day, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won added further inconsistency, saying "In my opinion, holding talks with the North will only aggravate the situation."
Bae Jong-chan, director of the department of social research and consultant at Research & Research, said such inconsistency in the government's stance on inter-Korean issues could cause confusion among the public and even within the Stalinist state.
"The government has to establish one mouth and deliver uniform messages on inter-Korean issues at the earliest possible date because sporadic announcements just cause unnecessary misunderstanding in both South and North," he said.
Bae claimed that President Park and Unification Minister Ryoo have also sent conflicting messages about how to manage issues of national security.
"Such inconsistency between government officials will only render it more difficult to build a bond of sympathy with the opposition party as well as with neighboring countries attempting to solve inter-Korean problems on the peninsula."
Cheong Wa Dae and the unification ministry have been issuing mixed messages regarding the government's stance on inter-Korean issues, according to a local research analyst.
When Seoul offered North Korea dialogue to resolve inter-Korean problems Thursday and then responded to Pyongyang's denunciation of this Sunday, the presidential office altered the ministry's original stance in just a matter of hours.
Following comments from the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which described South Korea's offer of dialogue as a "cunning ploy," ministry officials said, "It is premature to conclude that the North has rejected Seoul's offer."
The ministry then stated that the communist country left room for dialogue when it said "Whether to hold talks completely depends on Seoul's attitude."
Hours after this, however, Ju Chul-ki, senior secretary to the president for foreign affairs and national security, held a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae and said, "It is very regrettable that the North rejected Seoul's offer for dialogue."
A similar process happened a few days ago when Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae issued a statement calling on the North to "come to the bargaining table."
Initially, Ryoo said that he just stressed the need for conversation, signaling it was not Seoul's official offer for talks. But, soon after, Cheong Wa Dae officials shifted the government's stance and said that the minister's statement was actually an official offer for conversation, quoting President Park Geun-hye as saying, "The door for talks is always open because the Korean Peninsula trust-building process should operate, no matter how difficult the situation is."
The following day, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won added further inconsistency, saying "In my opinion, holding talks with the North will only aggravate the situation."
Bae Jong-chan, director of the department of social research and consultant at Research & Research, said such inconsistency in the government's stance on inter-Korean issues could cause confusion among the public and even within the Stalinist state.
"The government has to establish one mouth and deliver uniform messages on inter-Korean issues at the earliest possible date because sporadic announcements just cause unnecessary misunderstanding in both South and North," he said.
Bae claimed that President Park and Unification Minister Ryoo have also sent conflicting messages about how to manage issues of national security.
"Such inconsistency between government officials will only render it more difficult to build a bond of sympathy with the opposition party as well as with neighboring countries attempting to solve inter-Korean problems on the peninsula."
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