By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea's repeated proposals to hold inter-Korean talks are apparently aimed at creating a rift in South Korea as well as within the international community to help Pyongyang extract itself from powerful economic sanctions, according to experts, Sunday.
The North suggested, Saturday, holding a working-level meeting with the South in late May or early June to prepare for military talks to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula.
The latest in a series of offers for talks came a day after Pyongyang called on Seoul to immediately accept its earlier proposal for inter-Korean military dialogue made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the four-day-long ruling Workers' Party Congress that wrapped up May 9.
"We propose to hold working-level contacts for opening military authorities talks at the date and place both sides deem convenient in late May or early June in a bid to defuse military tension and create a confidence-building atmosphere between the military authorities of North and South Korea," said the North's state-media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in an English dispatch.
Kim Ki-nam, the vice chairman of the Workers' Party and the director of the propaganda and agitation department, also claimed in a statement, "The South should stop hostile actions against the North, including war games, and come to the negotiation table with sincere attitudes if it really has willingness to improve inter-Korean relations," according to the KCNA.
The Ministry of National Defense downplayed the North's offer, claiming that the proposal was merely propaganda with no sincerity because it spoke of inter-Korean dialogue while continuing to develop a nuclear arsenal.
"There is no change in the government's stance that denuclearization steps should be a top priority when it comes to dialogue with North Korea," said the ministry later in the day.
Experts said the isolated state is apparently switching to a charm offensive toward South Korea in order to break away from difficulties and deepening international isolation following harsher sanctions from the United Nations Security Council as well as major countries including the United States for conducting its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February.
"When the North proposed holding talks, some people in the South would think that the government should accept such an offer, and this could create conflict among South Korean people," said Moon Sung-mook, a senior researcher for the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, also said, "The North is trying to tell the world and the U.S. that the Kim Jong-un regime is trying to diffuse military tension on the Korean Peninsula."
They said that Pyongyang's efforts are aimed at winning over countries to get them to end the international sanctions, while blaming Seoul for not doing its part to ease tensions.
North Korea's repeated proposals to hold inter-Korean talks are apparently aimed at creating a rift in South Korea as well as within the international community to help Pyongyang extract itself from powerful economic sanctions, according to experts, Sunday.
The North suggested, Saturday, holding a working-level meeting with the South in late May or early June to prepare for military talks to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula.
The latest in a series of offers for talks came a day after Pyongyang called on Seoul to immediately accept its earlier proposal for inter-Korean military dialogue made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the four-day-long ruling Workers' Party Congress that wrapped up May 9.
"We propose to hold working-level contacts for opening military authorities talks at the date and place both sides deem convenient in late May or early June in a bid to defuse military tension and create a confidence-building atmosphere between the military authorities of North and South Korea," said the North's state-media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in an English dispatch.
Kim Ki-nam, the vice chairman of the Workers' Party and the director of the propaganda and agitation department, also claimed in a statement, "The South should stop hostile actions against the North, including war games, and come to the negotiation table with sincere attitudes if it really has willingness to improve inter-Korean relations," according to the KCNA.
The Ministry of National Defense downplayed the North's offer, claiming that the proposal was merely propaganda with no sincerity because it spoke of inter-Korean dialogue while continuing to develop a nuclear arsenal.
"There is no change in the government's stance that denuclearization steps should be a top priority when it comes to dialogue with North Korea," said the ministry later in the day.
Experts said the isolated state is apparently switching to a charm offensive toward South Korea in order to break away from difficulties and deepening international isolation following harsher sanctions from the United Nations Security Council as well as major countries including the United States for conducting its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February.
"When the North proposed holding talks, some people in the South would think that the government should accept such an offer, and this could create conflict among South Korean people," said Moon Sung-mook, a senior researcher for the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, also said, "The North is trying to tell the world and the U.S. that the Kim Jong-un regime is trying to diffuse military tension on the Korean Peninsula."
They said that Pyongyang's efforts are aimed at winning over countries to get them to end the international sanctions, while blaming Seoul for not doing its part to ease tensions.
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