Seoul Set to Propose Red Cross Talks

Seoul plans to propose talks to Pyongyang this week to follow up on pledge by Pyongyang to resume inter-Korean family reunions in October, according to Yonhap News Agency Tuesday.

Yonhap said Seoul may make the proposal as early as Wednesday either through military or maritime channels, as North Korea has unilaterally cut off communications between the Koreas' Red Cross offices which in the past organized the reunions.

South Korea has yet to decide on the date for the possible talks, a source was quoted as saying.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and South Korea's Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun Sunday agreed on a series of steps which, if officially endorsed by Seoul, will resuscitate stalled tourism projects and restart the reunion of families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War. Hyundai Group is the main North Korean counterpart in cross-border business ventures.

Kim suggested arranging the reunions on Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving, on Oct. 3.

Chun Hae-sung, Seoul's Unification Ministry's spokesman, said Monday the agreement between Hyundai and North Korea as "positive" but that dialogue between the governments should precede implementation.

He added, however, that the government's top priority is resuming the family reunions and it will try to set up inter-Korean Red Cross talks.

The family reunions, set up after the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, have been suspended after mail exchanges in February last year.