ID :
185968
Thu, 06/02/2011 - 05:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185968
The shortlink copeid
U.S. plays down N. Korea's statement on inter-Korean ties
(2nd LD)WASHINGTON, June 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States accused North Korea Wednesday of continuing threats and provocative behavior in defiance of the international community's hope for a thaw in inter-Korean ties and the resumption of nuclear talks.
In a press briefing, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner played down Pyongyang's latest statement disclosing details of what it calls a secret meeting with South Korea as a typical tactic to keep tensions high.
"Well, again, we've been pretty consistent about saying that North Korea needs to improve North-South relations and demonstrate a change in behavior before we can move forward, and this includes ceasing provocative actions," he said.
His remarks came in response to the statement issued by the North's powerful National Defense Commission earlier in the day. It claims that government officials of the two Koreas made contact in secret starting on May 9 at the request of Seoul, intended to arrange summit talks.
The commission said Seoul officials presented a "compromise proposal" on their unanswered demand for Pyongyang to apologize for the sinking of a South Korean warship and the shelling of a border island last year.
The South also asked for a series of summit talks that would be held before and on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled to take place in Seoul next March, according to the commission.
It added that North Korea had rejected the South's offer and decided not to deal with it any more.
When asked if the U.S. thinks the North's move would deepen tensions on the peninsula, the State Department spokesman said it is nothing new.
"I don't know if it's a ratcheting up of tensions," Toner said. "I would just say that it's more of the same we're hearing, more of the same rhetoric that we've heard before from North Korea, and it's not getting us any closer to improving those North-South relations."
Regardless, he said Washington's ongoing consideration of whether to resume food aid for Pyongyang would remain unaffected.
"I've said very clearly that our food assistance program is a separate piece altogether from the policy side of that. What we're looking for on the policy side is not at all affected or has an effect on our food assistance program," he said.
He noted that U.S. food assessment experts are in North Korea to collect relevant data.
In a press briefing, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner played down Pyongyang's latest statement disclosing details of what it calls a secret meeting with South Korea as a typical tactic to keep tensions high.
"Well, again, we've been pretty consistent about saying that North Korea needs to improve North-South relations and demonstrate a change in behavior before we can move forward, and this includes ceasing provocative actions," he said.
His remarks came in response to the statement issued by the North's powerful National Defense Commission earlier in the day. It claims that government officials of the two Koreas made contact in secret starting on May 9 at the request of Seoul, intended to arrange summit talks.
The commission said Seoul officials presented a "compromise proposal" on their unanswered demand for Pyongyang to apologize for the sinking of a South Korean warship and the shelling of a border island last year.
The South also asked for a series of summit talks that would be held before and on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled to take place in Seoul next March, according to the commission.
It added that North Korea had rejected the South's offer and decided not to deal with it any more.
When asked if the U.S. thinks the North's move would deepen tensions on the peninsula, the State Department spokesman said it is nothing new.
"I don't know if it's a ratcheting up of tensions," Toner said. "I would just say that it's more of the same we're hearing, more of the same rhetoric that we've heard before from North Korea, and it's not getting us any closer to improving those North-South relations."
Regardless, he said Washington's ongoing consideration of whether to resume food aid for Pyongyang would remain unaffected.
"I've said very clearly that our food assistance program is a separate piece altogether from the policy side of that. What we're looking for on the policy side is not at all affected or has an effect on our food assistance program," he said.
He noted that U.S. food assessment experts are in North Korea to collect relevant data.
