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North and South Korean ministers meet at Asean forum North Korea calls offer of talks from the South 'insincere'
(about 1 hour later)
South Korea has confirmed to the BBC that its foreign minister spoke to her North Korean counterpart on Sunday, in a rare face-to-face meeting. North Korea has called an offer of talks from the South "insincere", in a rare meeting of high-level officials.
The meeting between the South's Kang Kyung-wha and the North's Ri Yong Ho took place on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Manila. South Korean authorities told the BBC that its foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke to her North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho on Sunday on the sidelines of a forum in Manila.
Tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula in recent months amid repeated missile tests by the North.Tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula in recent months amid repeated missile tests by the North.
The UN Security Council voted on Saturday to impose fresh sanctions.The UN Security Council voted on Saturday to impose fresh sanctions.
South Korean media reported that Ms Kang and Mr Ri shook hands in a brief and unarranged meeting at an official dinner event. South Korea proposed talks with the North last month to ease tensions and resume reunions of families separated by the Korean War, but Pyongyang has yet to officially respond.
A South Korean foreign ministry official confirmed the meeting to the BBC, and the reports that Mr Ri had rejected the South's request to renew talks as "insincere". South Korean media reported that Ms Kang and Mr Ri shook hands in a brief and unarranged meeting at an official dinner event held by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
China, which is Pyongyang's closest ally, has disputed this account. A South Korean foreign ministry official confirmed the meeting to the BBC.
Foreign minister Wang Yi told journalists on Monday: "My feeling is that the North did not entirely reject the positive proposals raised by the South." South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Ms Kang as saying that Mr Ri's rejection appeared to be connected with mounting sanctions on North Korea.
He added that China also supported the South's initiatives. "I told him that [the two offers for talks] are an urgent matter that should be carried out immediately with any political agenda put aside and asked him to proactively react," she was quoted as saying.
All three countries' ministers are attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) forum in Manila. The foreign minister of China, which is Pyongyang's closest ally, told journalists on Monday: "My feeling is that the North did not entirely reject the positive proposals raised by the South." Wang Yi added that China also supported the South's initiatives.
All three countries' ministers are attending the Asean forum in Manila.
The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also at the forum, where he spoke about North Korea.
He told journalists that the unanimous vote by the UN Security Council to impose new sanctions was "quite clear in terms of being no daylight among the international community" on their desire for North Korea to stop its tests.
He also made a note of Russia and China's participation in the vote.
The two countries have previously differed with others on how to handle Pyongyang, but in recent months have joined in calls for North Korea to stop its missile tests while also urging the US and South Korea to halt military drills.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump spoke to his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in over the phone about relations on the Korean peninsula.
They agreed that North Korea "poses a grave and growing direct threat" and the two leaders were committed to fully implement the latest round of UN sanctions, the White House said in a statement.
What are the new sanctions?
North Korea has is yet to officially respond to the new sanctions. A senior official told Yonhap: "We will make our stance clear when things are determined."
But ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun earlier said nuclear action or sanctions taken by Washington would lead to an "unimaginable sea of fire" engulfing the US.