ID :
186214
Fri, 06/03/2011 - 07:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/186214
The shortlink copeid
Opposition leader calls for unconditional dialogue with N. Korea
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- An opposition leader urged the government Friday to drop its hard-line policy on North Korea and seek unconditional dialogue with the communist nation after Pyongyang claimed that Seoul sought summit talks with it in a "begging" manner.
"The Democratic Party (DP) supports all forms of dialogue efforts, including summit talks, if they are for the sake of improving inter-Korean relations, but such efforts should be made in a dignified way," DP floor leader Kim Jin-pyo said in a parliamentary speech.
"If the government truly wants dialogue with North Korea, it should first discard the hard-line policy toward the North and begin unconditional dialogue to provide humanitarian assistance, including rice, and improve inter-Korean relations," he said.
On Wednesday, North Korea claimed that South Korean officials proposed a series of summit talks when the sides met secretly last month and "begged" for an apology from the North for last year's two deadly attacks, hoping to pave the way for summit meetings.
The North said the secret meeting ended without agreement because the South repeated its demand that the North apologize for last year's two deadly attacks -- the March sinking of a warship and the November shelling of a border island -- saying the issue is "mountains to be crossed with wisdom" to improve inter-Korean ties.
Pyongyang has rejected Seoul's long-running demand for an apology for the attacks, claiming it had nothing to do with the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and that the shelling of the South's border island of Yeonpyeong was part of its "self-defensive measure" against South Korea-U.S. military drills.
South Korean officials said it is true the sides held secret contact, but stressed that it was aimed at seeking an apology from the North for last year's attacks by holding out the prospect of summit talks that Pyongyang had called for in apparent attempts to win aid.
On the massive corruption scandal involving savings banks, DP floor leader Kim accused the government of taking action too late to clear up problems with savings banks even though it confirmed troubles with the lenders in late 2008.
The scandal is about savings banks seeking influence of high-level politicians and government officials to avoid punishment for extending illegal loans and other irregularities. A number of former and incumbent officials have been arrested or questioned.
They included Eun Jin-soo, a former top member of the Board of Audit and Inspection, who served as an aide to President Lee Myung-bak. Eun was arrested earlier this week on charges of accepting bribes, including a diamond jewel, in exchange for exercising influence for an ailing savings bank.
The ruling and opposition parties have since stepped up a "war of revelations," raising a string of unconfirmed allegations pointing to the possible involvement of other high-level people from their rival sides.
The DP's Kim also called for the renegotiation of the free trade agreement with the United States, claiming the "balance of interest" in the deal was broken in favor of the U.S. when the sides held additional negotiations late last year to revise the deal.
The trade agreement, signed in 2007 and supplemented last December, has been awaiting approval from the legislatures of the two countries. The U.S. government has recently been making a push to get the deal to pass through Congress.
"The Democratic Party (DP) supports all forms of dialogue efforts, including summit talks, if they are for the sake of improving inter-Korean relations, but such efforts should be made in a dignified way," DP floor leader Kim Jin-pyo said in a parliamentary speech.
"If the government truly wants dialogue with North Korea, it should first discard the hard-line policy toward the North and begin unconditional dialogue to provide humanitarian assistance, including rice, and improve inter-Korean relations," he said.
On Wednesday, North Korea claimed that South Korean officials proposed a series of summit talks when the sides met secretly last month and "begged" for an apology from the North for last year's two deadly attacks, hoping to pave the way for summit meetings.
The North said the secret meeting ended without agreement because the South repeated its demand that the North apologize for last year's two deadly attacks -- the March sinking of a warship and the November shelling of a border island -- saying the issue is "mountains to be crossed with wisdom" to improve inter-Korean ties.
Pyongyang has rejected Seoul's long-running demand for an apology for the attacks, claiming it had nothing to do with the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and that the shelling of the South's border island of Yeonpyeong was part of its "self-defensive measure" against South Korea-U.S. military drills.
South Korean officials said it is true the sides held secret contact, but stressed that it was aimed at seeking an apology from the North for last year's attacks by holding out the prospect of summit talks that Pyongyang had called for in apparent attempts to win aid.
On the massive corruption scandal involving savings banks, DP floor leader Kim accused the government of taking action too late to clear up problems with savings banks even though it confirmed troubles with the lenders in late 2008.
The scandal is about savings banks seeking influence of high-level politicians and government officials to avoid punishment for extending illegal loans and other irregularities. A number of former and incumbent officials have been arrested or questioned.
They included Eun Jin-soo, a former top member of the Board of Audit and Inspection, who served as an aide to President Lee Myung-bak. Eun was arrested earlier this week on charges of accepting bribes, including a diamond jewel, in exchange for exercising influence for an ailing savings bank.
The ruling and opposition parties have since stepped up a "war of revelations," raising a string of unconfirmed allegations pointing to the possible involvement of other high-level people from their rival sides.
The DP's Kim also called for the renegotiation of the free trade agreement with the United States, claiming the "balance of interest" in the deal was broken in favor of the U.S. when the sides held additional negotiations late last year to revise the deal.
The trade agreement, signed in 2007 and supplemented last December, has been awaiting approval from the legislatures of the two countries. The U.S. government has recently been making a push to get the deal to pass through Congress.
