Pres. Park urges ‘Pyongyang to promptly attend dialogue’

President Park Geun-hye urged North Korea to attend the venue of inter-Korean dialogue on Tuesday. It was her fist official demand to the North after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent positive response to inter-Korean talks in his New Year’s speech on Thursday last week. President Park apparently seeks to gain the upper hand in inter-Korean talks by pressuring Pyongyang, which has been more isolated diplomatically amid additional sanctions by the U.S.

“It is fortunate that North Korea expressed a more positive stance towards inter-Korean dialogue and exchange in the New Year’s speech,” said the president at this year’s first Cabinet meeting at the presidential office. “However, considering that inter-Korean ties failed to make continuous progress with many twists and turns, what is important at this point is that the North should show its sincerity and commitment to the improvement of inter-Korean relations.”

President Park urged the North to accept talks between authorities of the two Koreas, which the South proposed to the North late last year. Kim Jong Un said in his New Year’s speech, “There is no reason for us not to hold top-level talks,” leaving open the possibility to hold an inter-Korean summit. However, President Park said on Friday, “The North seems to be trying to win immediate gains,” emphasizing phased dialogue and recovery of mutual trust. Her remarks could be interpreted as suggesting that Seoul will not be swayed by Pyongyang’s aggressive moves for inter-Korean talks.

In the same context, President Park said at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, “The North is urged to soon come to the venue of inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation, and join us to practically address specific projects aimed at settling peace and achieving unification of the Korean Peninsula.” She clarified that working-level discussions to implement specific projects should come ahead of an inter-Korean summit.

“We definitely need the ‘principle of selection and focus’ through which we define specific objectives of core tasks to implement without fail this year,” Park told Cabinet members. “The key to success is how efficiently relevant government ministries will cooperate.”