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Dialogue Between North and South Korea Collapses Dialogue Between North and South Korea Collapses
(35 minutes later)
SEOUL, South Korea — An agreement between North and South Korea to hold high-level government talks on Wednesday collapsed in a last-minute dispute over who should lead their delegations, South Korean officials said on Tuesday. SEOUL, South Korea — An agreement between North and South Korea to hold high-level government talks this week collapsed in a last-minute dispute over who should lead their delegations, South Korean officials said Tuesday.
South Korea said the planned talks were canceled, but added that the country was still open to dialogue with the North. The Seoul meeting, if held, would have been the first talks held among senior Korean leaders in six years. South Korea said that the talks were canceled, but that the country was still open to a dialogue with the North. The meeting in Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday would have been the first among senior Korean leaders in six years.
The agreement to hold the talks had been seen as a clear sign that the two Koreas were easing tensions and moving toward a thaw after years of recriminations that hit a peak earlier this year, when the North’s third nuclear test prompted broad international sanctions. The North responded with threats that it would launch nuclear strikes against South Korea and its ally, the United States. The agreement had been seen as a clear sign that the two Koreas were easing tensions and moving toward a thaw after years of recriminations that hit a peak this year, when the North’s third nuclear test prompted broad international sanctions. The North responded with threats that it would launch nuclear strikes against South Korea and its ally, the United States.
But right up until the eve of the planned talks, North and South Korea were bickering over who should be their chief delegates to the meeting in Seoul. But right up until the eve of the talks, North and South Korea were arguing over who should be their chief delegates to the meeting.
South Korea proposed sending the country’s unification minister, Ryoo Kihl-jae, as the top delegate and asked North Korea to send Kim Yang-gon, a Workers’ Party secretary in charge of relations with the South, as Mr. Ryoo’s counterpart. But the North balked, insisting that Mr. Kim was above a minister’s level in the North Korean hierarchy — a claim the South did not accept.South Korea proposed sending the country’s unification minister, Ryoo Kihl-jae, as the top delegate and asked North Korea to send Kim Yang-gon, a Workers’ Party secretary in charge of relations with the South, as Mr. Ryoo’s counterpart. But the North balked, insisting that Mr. Kim was above a minister’s level in the North Korean hierarchy — a claim the South did not accept.
Then on Tuesday, North Korea told the South that it would not send a delegation to Seoul, said Kim Hyung-suk, a South Korean government spokesman. On Tuesday, North Korea told the South that it would not send a delegation to Seoul, said Kim Hyung-suk, a South Korean government spokesman.
“We consider the North Korean decision very regrettable,” Mr. Kim said.“We consider the North Korean decision very regrettable,” Mr. Kim said.
The bickering between the two sides over what appeared to be a point of pride reflects a deeper standoff. The dispute between the two sides over what appeared to be a point of pride reflects a deeper standoff.
North Korea, which called the South a “puppet” of the Americans, had sent an officer who was lower in rank than Mr. Kim to previous cabinet minister-level talks with South Korea until they were suspended in 2007. The government of Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president, has insisted on “trust-building” with the North, and said it was adamant that it would not tolerate what officials considered to be diplomatic slight. North Korea, which called the South a “puppet” of the Americans, had sent an officer who was lower in rank than Mr. Kim to previous cabinet-minister-level talks with South Korea until they were suspended in 2007. The government of Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president, has insisted on “trust building” with the North, and said it was adamant that it would not tolerate what officials considered to be diplomatic slight.
In the planned talks, both Koreas were to discuss reversing not only the recent suspension of their joint operation of an industrial complex, but also revising other economic and humanitarian projects that faltered a few years ago amid tensions over North Korean nuclear tests, international sanctions and threats of war. In the talks, the Koreas were to discuss not only reversing the recent suspension of their joint operation of an industrial complex, but also revising other economic and humanitarian projects that faltered a few years ago amid tensions over North Korean nuclear tests, international sanctions and threats of war.
The industrial park at Kaesong, a North Korean border town, was shuttered in April when North Korea pulled out all of its 53,000 workers and accused the United States and South Korea of raising military tensions. The factory park had been the last and best-known symbol of inter-Korean rapprochement efforts from 1998 to 2008.The industrial park at Kaesong, a North Korean border town, was shuttered in April when North Korea pulled out all of its 53,000 workers and accused the United States and South Korea of raising military tensions. The factory park had been the last and best-known symbol of inter-Korean rapprochement efforts from 1998 to 2008.
Most of the joint Korean projects started during that period were suspended as relations deteriorated in the past few years. Most of the joint Korean projects started during that period were suspended in the last few years as relations deteriorated.
Last week, North Korea made a surprise overture by proposing government-to-government dialogue with the South. South Korea quickly accepted it, offering to hold cabinet minister-level talks in Seoul. Their delegates met on the border on Sunday to sort out the details. Last week, North Korea made a surprise overture by proposing the government-to-government dialogue with the South. South Korea quickly accepted, offering to hold cabinet-minister-level talks in Seoul. Their delegates met on the border on Sunday to sort out the details.
The border talks had ended with an agreement to hold a high-level meeting in Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday, but left the dispute over the chief delegates unresolved. Those talks ended with the agreement to hold a high-level meeting in Seoul this week, but left the dispute over the chief delegates unresolved.