By Kim Young-jin
North Korea has again ruled out the possibility of inter-Korean dialogue, continuing its barrage of fiery rhetoric against the Lee Myung-bak administration.
The salvo came after it vowed last week never to deal with Lee’s administration and claimed that Seoul officials had attempted to bribe the North into holding summit talks.
“What more discussions could there be for North and South Korea relations when Lee Myung-bak’s party dares to ridicule summit talks?” the mouthpiece Rodong Shinmun said in a commentary, Wednesday.
The North’s rhetoric offensive came after efforts to warm ties, as a path back to multilateral negotiations, hit a snag. Seoul wants the North to apologize for two provocations last year, a move Pyongyang has consistently rejected.
The North’s bombshell revelation of the secret meeting, viewed as a severe breach of international norms, put such efforts further out of reach.
The commentary laid more blame on Seoul for the breakdown of that meeting, saying, “No party has ever been so foul minded...irresponsibly plotting and raising conflicts.”
A Seoul official said he had no comment on the North's remarks.
The loss of momentum seems to be behind the current flurry of diplomacy.
North Korea was expected to be high on the agenda when Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, met with Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei Thursday in Beijing. Kurt Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is slated to arrive in Seoul today as part of his Asia trip.
The North is holding tight to its stance denying responsibility for two deadly provocations last year, throwing a wrench in efforts to pave the way for a resumption of the forum, stalled since 2009.
Many analysts believe, however, a patient attitude is necessary to see any improvement in bilateral relations, as Pyongyang appears ready to wait out the remainder of Lee’s term which ends in early 2013.
Reports that the North test-fired a short range missile off its western coast last week raised the specter of more provocative behavior from the communist state. Both Seoul and Washington have downplayed a possible link between the launch and the inflammatory rhetoric.
“I wouldn’t read too much into these kinds of tests,” State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters, saying Washington could not confirm the report. “We’ve seen these kinds of tests before. We would just urge North Korea to exercise restraint.”