By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea on Monday rebuffed South Korea's offers last week to hold talks between the two nation's parliamentary leaders and to join Seoul's defense dialogue involving more than 30 countries.
"To improve the inter-Korean relationship, it's necessary to create a favorable mood for a bilateral dialogue," Pyongyang's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The CPRK is in charge of coordinating dialogue between the two foes.
"However, today's inter-Korean ties are at their lowest level from which we can't make any progress."
The committee demanded that the National Assembly should "get in shape" first to resolve inter-Korean issues independently without relying on the United States.
It cited that National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa proposed Friday to hold talks between the parliamentary leaders next month on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's libration from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15.
The CPRK said it finds Ministry of Defense's offer, also on Friday, to join the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) "obnoxious." Scheduled in September, the fourth-annual SDD is aimed at promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia.
This is the first time that Seoul has invited Pyongyang to attend the meeting. High-ranking government officials and private security experts from more than 30 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Russia and member-states of the European Union are expected to attend.
"We find it obnoxious that South Korea plans to hold a security dialogue after threatening regional peace jointly with the U.S.," the CPRK said.
The Ministry of Unification, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, expressed regrets about Pyongyang's moves.
"It is highly regrettable that Pyongyang has disparaged Seoul's intents for pursuing the inter-Korean talks," ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said during a regular briefing, Monday.
North Korea on Monday rebuffed South Korea's offers last week to hold talks between the two nation's parliamentary leaders and to join Seoul's defense dialogue involving more than 30 countries.
"To improve the inter-Korean relationship, it's necessary to create a favorable mood for a bilateral dialogue," Pyongyang's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The CPRK is in charge of coordinating dialogue between the two foes.
"However, today's inter-Korean ties are at their lowest level from which we can't make any progress."
The committee demanded that the National Assembly should "get in shape" first to resolve inter-Korean issues independently without relying on the United States.
It cited that National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa proposed Friday to hold talks between the parliamentary leaders next month on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's libration from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15.
The CPRK said it finds Ministry of Defense's offer, also on Friday, to join the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) "obnoxious." Scheduled in September, the fourth-annual SDD is aimed at promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia.
This is the first time that Seoul has invited Pyongyang to attend the meeting. High-ranking government officials and private security experts from more than 30 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Russia and member-states of the European Union are expected to attend.
"We find it obnoxious that South Korea plans to hold a security dialogue after threatening regional peace jointly with the U.S.," the CPRK said.
The Ministry of Unification, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, expressed regrets about Pyongyang's moves.
"It is highly regrettable that Pyongyang has disparaged Seoul's intents for pursuing the inter-Korean talks," ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said during a regular briefing, Monday.
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