N. Korea silent on family reunion dialogue proposal

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has not yet responded to South Korea's
recent proposal to meet this week to discuss setting up reunions for separated
families, a Seoul official said Tuesday.
Seoul last week proposed a three-day inter-Korean Red Cross meeting starting
Wednesday, following up on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's agreement to resume
reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. But Pyongyang has not
yet given its answer, said Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo.
"Even if their response comes today, there are other things that should be done
before the talks, like exchanging the list of the names of the delegates and
setting up a communications channel," Lee said.
The two sides will likely have to set another date even if Pyongyang responds
later Wednesday, she added.
Earlier this month, the North Korean leader agreed with Hyun Jeong-eun,
chairwoman of South Korea's Hyundai Group, a major investor in the North, to
resume a string of reconciliatory measures such as suspended tourism ventures and
family reunions. The accord suggests family reunions be held on the traditional
Korean holiday of Chuseok that falls on Oct. 3.
The temporary reunion has not taken place since late 2007 as political relations
chilled after President Lee Myung-bak came to power vowing to link inter-Korean
relations to progress in Pyongyang's denuclearization.
Family reunions arranged by the Red Cross started at the end of 2000 as an
outcome of the historic first inter-Korean summit between late former South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung and the North Korean leader earlier that year. The
Koreas have so far held 16 rounds of face-to-face reunions and seven rounds of
video reunions.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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