The Unification Ministry proposed working-level inter-Korean talks Tuesday to discuss recovering finished products and raw materials from the suspended Gaeseong Industrial Complex, at the instruction of President Park Geun-hye.
On Wednesday, a ministry spokeswoman urged Pyongyang to accept proposed talks once again during a press briefing, saying that the North had yet to respond to Seoul’s offer for dialogue. The latest proposal for talks was the third since the reclusive regime in Pyongyang barred South Korean access to the industrial park, the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, and removed its 53,000 workers in early April.
We believe there are many reasons for North Korea to issue a swift reply to the offer. First of all, it needs to give much consideration to the 123 South Korean companies in the industrial park, which helped the impoverished nation earn hundreds of millions of dollars in hard currency for nearly a decade. It’s none other than those companies that have been suffering most from the shutdown of the complex.
Pyongyang allegedly promised to discuss the withdrawal of the finished products and raw materials worth about 300-500 billion won, when it received $13 million from Seoul under the pretext of back wages, taxes and communication fees earlier this month, but it has failed to keep its word so far. The environment for talks is also ripe, given that Seoul and Washington have ended their joint military exercises that were the reason the North gave for ramping up tensions.
Nonetheless, chances are slim for North Korea to accept the proposal for talks immediately, considering that Park ― contrary to general expectations ― didn’t offer a fresh olive branch to the isolationist regime during her visit to the United States last week. But this is no time for both Koreas to engage in a war of nerves, taking into account that delays in talks for another month or two will lead to permanent closure of the jointly run complex.
Park’s trust-building process gained strong backing from President Barack Obama during their first summit meeting in Washington. In this regard, Pyongyang’s quick response to talks for the industrial park will serve as a good occasion for Seoul to set in motion the proposed "trustpolitik.’’
It’s encouraging to hear that North Korea has no intention of closing the complex. If this is true, it should accept Seoul’s proposal immediately. South Korea, for its part, needs to take whatever measures are necessary to create a favorable climate for inter-Korean talks.