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Fri, September 29, 2023 | 02:11
Gov't rebukes NK preconditions for dialog
정부 "北 요구 조건들, 선제조치할 생각 없어"
Posted : 2015-01-26 16:42
Updated : 2015-01-26 18:49
Jun Ji-hye
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By Jun Ji-hye

The government said Monday that it is not willing to comply with preconditions North Korea has presented for talks.

The conditions include suspending joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington, and lifting the so-called May 24 economic sanctions.

Seoul imposed the sanctions after the North torpedoed a South Korean warship in 2010, killing 46 sailors.

"We have no intention to take actions on their preconditions first," said unification ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol. "Such issues need to be discussed at inter-Korean talks."

Lim said if the government complied with such "improper" preconditions before dialog began, it would not help improve South-North relations fundamentally and sincerely.

On Dec. 29, the government proposed holding minister-level inter-Korean talks unconditionally in January about mutual concerns including the reunion of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Since then, the two Koreas have been caught in a war of nerves to grab better terms before they agreed to sit down.

Pyongyang continues to claim that the May 24 sanctions, which banned all trading and commercial activities between the two sides except at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, are fundamental obstacles to the two Koreas' dialogue and cooperation.

"If South Korea is sincerely interested in holding the family reunion event, it should first make decisions, including lifting the sanctions and suspending the war practice to invade the North," said Pyongyang's state-run paper, the Rodong Sinmun, Monday.

"If the U.S. and the South's annual joint Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises are pushed ahead as planned, inter-Korean relations will plunge into catastrophe."

The joint military drills are slated for early March.

On Sunday, the communist state even warned of "stern punishment," accusing the South of failing to forge "even the basic mood."

Despite harsh rhetoric from the North, the ministry said the government still believes that the isolated state is open to holding talks, as its young leader Kim Jong-un mentioned during his New Year speech. Kim even indicated that an inter-Korean summit was possible.

Regarding the fact that the North has yet to respond to Seoul's offer for talks, Lim said, "There could be some reason behind their move. But the North should stop demanding improper preconditions and come to the dialog table if it has a sincere wish to improve the two Koreas' relations."

The spokesman added that the government will not be bound by the timing of the talks.

"We don't think the talks must be held in January simply because of Seoul's initial offer. The offer will still be valid as February approaches," he said.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye


정부 "北 요구 조건들, 선제조치할 생각 없어"

'통일준비위 대화 제의, 1월 넘어도 유효'

정부는 26일 통일준비위원회(통준위) 명의로 지난해 말 북한에 제안했던 '1월 중 당국간 회담' 개최 문제와 관련, 1월이라는 시한에 반드시 얽매이지는 않겠다는 입장을 밝혔다.

임병철 통일부 대변인은 이날 정례브리핑에서 '통준위 차원의 대화가 꼭 1월에만 열려야 되는 것은 아니기 때문에 우리 정부가 작년에 제의한 통준위 대화 제의는 1월이 넘어가더라도 유효하다고 생각한다'고 말했다.

임 대변인은 '어떤 시한을 정해놓고 우리가 북한 정부의 호응을 촉구하는 것은 아니다'면서 '언제라도 북한이 남북관계 개선을 원한다면 일방적 주장을 하지 말고 대화의 장에 호응해 나와야 될 것'이라고 강조했다.

그는 정부의 추가적인 대화 제의 여부에 대해선 '앞으로 북한의 반응이라든지 향후 남북관계 상황을 지켜보면서 여러 가지 대응 방안을 검토해 나가도록 하겠다'고 가능성을 열어놓았다.

임 대변인은 그러나 북한이 대화의 전제조건으로 내세우고 있는 한미군사훈련 중단이나 5·24 조치 해제 주장과 관련, '북한을 회담장으로 끌어내기 위하여 현재 북한이 요구하고 있는 그런 전제조건들을 먼저 우리 정부가 선제적으로 조치할 생각은 없다'고 잘라 말했다.

그는 '북한이 내세우는 전제조건들은 일단 대화의 장에 나와서 우리 정부와 협의해서 해결해야 될 문제'라며 '대화의 장이 개최되기도 전에 그런 부당한 전제조건을 우리 정부가 들어준다는 것은 앞으로 진정한 남북관계의 발전, 근본적 발전을 위해서도 바람직하지 않다고 생각한다'고 부연했다.

임 대변인은 또 북한이 신년사에서 대화와 교류에 대한 의지를 밝힌 점에 비춰 볼 때 대화 의지는 있다고 판단한다고 밝혔다.

그는 이런 상황에서 북한이 대화에 응하지 않고 있는데 대해선 '북한 나름대로의 사정이 있을 것으로 생각이 되지만 그런 것들에도 불구하고 북한이 진정으로 남북관계 개선의 의지가 있다면 그런 부당한 전제조건을 대화에 나오는 전제조건으로 삼기보다는 일단 대화의 장에 나와야 한다'고 촉구했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailjjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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