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S.Korea renews call on DPRK to accept talks offer

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Korea on Wednesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) once again to respond to its dialogue offer.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol told a press briefing that the ministry has no plan to send an additional proposal to the DPRK for inter-Korean talks and is to wait for response from the DPRK.

The ministry sent a dialogue overture to the DPRK on Dec. 29 and said Seoul is open to all forms of dialogue to discuss all issues of mutual concern.

Lim urged Pyongyang once again to rapidly respond to Seoul's proposal for holding inter-Korean talks in January.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's speech on Jan. 1 that there is no reason not to hold summit with South Korean President Park Geun-hye if a right atmosphere is formed.

In her New Year's press conference, Park said in response that she can hold summit with Kim if it promotes inter-Korean relations, but she noted that the DPRK should show sincerity toward resolving issues through a dialogue.

South Korea has called for the holding of reunion event of Korean families, separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, around the Lunar New Year's holiday that fell in mid-February this year.

The DPRK has demanded that South Korea prevent civic groups from floating anti-DPRK leaflets across the border and said it would temporarily suspend nuclear tests if the United States halts joint annual military exercises with South Korea. Endi