By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea left open the possibility of dialogue with South Korea, Tuesday.
The supreme command of the Korean People’s Army issued an “ultimatum” and said that if the South really wants inter-Korean dialogue, it will have to apologize for all of its anti-North Korean acts, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Although the North’s military warned that it would launch retaliation against South Korea without warning if the South continues with its anti-North Korean activities, the statement has significance in that the Kim Jong-un regime mentioned inter-Korean talks for the first time amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Incensed by toughened U.N. sanctions and the Korea-United States joint military exercises, the North has ratcheted up its war rhetoric including threatening nuclear strikes against the United States.
In addition, it turned down a proposal for dialogue from President Park Geun-hye, Sunday.
“Despite being conditional, the remarks did not rule out the possibility of talks and negotiations,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute.
He said that Tueday’s statement was less offensive, compared with the statement ― issued April 23, 2012 ― that criticized the Lee Myung-bak administration and the South’s conservative media.
“At that time, the North excluded the possibility of talks,” Cheong said.
Shin Beom-Chul, a director of North Korea Military Studies at the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses, also said the ultimatum was less loud than its previous warring language.
“The North appears to have toned down its threat,” he said.
However, dialogue is not expected to take place any time soon.
“The North recently rejected the South’s calls for talks, but the less vitriolic statement hints it is scratching its head over resuming talks after the Korea-United States joint drill is finished (on April 30),” Cheong said.
Shin said the North is not likely to return to the negotiating table right now.
“The latest threat indicates it will not talk with the South soon, but the North could be open to dialogue in May,” he said.
President Park has been remaining in a dialogue mode to improve the inter-Korean relations as part of her “Trustpolitik” approach toward North Korea ― a policy based on transforming the Korean Peninsula from a zone of conflict into a zone of trust.
This is expected to be a topic in her first meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in terms of bringing calm to the Korean Peninsula. Park will hold a summit with her U.S. counterpart in Washington on May 7.
“The two countries’ new governments are expected to make a framework for North Korean issues with Park’s Trustpolitik,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University.
Cheong also said that South Korea will explain the policy to the U.S. government.