ID :
20818
Tue, 09/23/2008 - 20:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20818
The shortlink copeid
(News Focus) S. Korean groups resume visits to N. Korea following tourist`s death By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea began allowing liberal civic groups to
resume sending large-scale delegations to North Korea some two months after the
shooting death of a tourist in the North, amid worsening ties with Pyongyang and
increasing uncertainty over the health of the North's leader and his state's
nuclear ambitions.
A group of 15 activists, advocates of the inter-Korean summit agreement of 2000,
left for Pyongyang early Tuesday with permission from Seoul. They will discuss
ways to enhance exchanges with their northern counterparts in Pyongyang,
officials said.
The group followed two other left-leaning South Korean organizations who also
received government permission to visit North Korea in recent days.
On Saturday, the Korean Sharing Movement, a Seoul-based charity group, and the
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a militant arm of the country's two
umbrella labor groups, sent delegations to Pyongyang. On Monday, a 96-member
delegation of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice flew into Pyongyang
to hold a special mass.
South Korea suspended tours to Mount Geumgang after Park Wang-ja, a 53-year-old
housewife from Seoul, was shot dead by a North Korean soldier while vacationing
in the mountain resort. The North claims she strayed into a restricted zone on
the North's east coast.
Two months after the incident and North Korea remained unchanged in its attitude,
continuing to refuse Seoul's request to help uncover facts behind the shooting.
In response, Seoul asked civic and non-governmental organizations to call off
visits to other sites in the North, citing negative public opinion among South
Koreans towards the communist neighbor.
Analysts say the recent decision to allow visits to the North come as Seoul
apparently feels the need to prevent ties with Pyongyang from worsening.
"The government appears to be taking it into account that if inter-Korean
relations deteriorate further, that will only provide cause for North Korea to
arm itself with nuclear weapons," a North Korea expert said requesting anonymity.
"Seoul currently has no leverage in resolving the nuclear crisis due to worsening
ties with North Korea," the expert said.
In a related move, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday again urged
Pyongyang to resume reconciliatory talks, saying he respects the spirit of all
inter-Korean agreements, including the two summit accords.
Lee's remark, made during a presidential panel meeting on reunification policy,
is seen as a further softening of his initial position towards Pyongyang's demand
that he respect and implement the two accords.
Relations have chilled since Lee took office in late February, vowing to take a
tougher stance toward Pyongyang over its human rights record and its nuclear
activities, among other issues. The death of the South Korean tourist also
increased tensions.
Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, said Seoul granted
permission to the recent trips as the country is recovering from the shock of the
shooting death.
He said the government will positively consider future requests by additional
groups to visit North Korea. Eight more groups hope to send delegations of around
100 members each, he said.
Seoul's intelligence and presidential officials acknowledged North Korean leader
Kim Jong-il, 66, probably suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery in the
middle of August, and that he has been recovering as of late.
Reports of Kim's failing health came as the six-party denuclearization talks
involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas hit a
deadlock over how to verify the North's nuclear declaration, made as part of the
six-party deal signed last year.
North Korea asked the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday to remove
seals and surveillance equipment from a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, the
agency's chief said, raising concerns that the communist country may be preparing
to restart its partially disabled nuclear facility.
resume sending large-scale delegations to North Korea some two months after the
shooting death of a tourist in the North, amid worsening ties with Pyongyang and
increasing uncertainty over the health of the North's leader and his state's
nuclear ambitions.
A group of 15 activists, advocates of the inter-Korean summit agreement of 2000,
left for Pyongyang early Tuesday with permission from Seoul. They will discuss
ways to enhance exchanges with their northern counterparts in Pyongyang,
officials said.
The group followed two other left-leaning South Korean organizations who also
received government permission to visit North Korea in recent days.
On Saturday, the Korean Sharing Movement, a Seoul-based charity group, and the
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a militant arm of the country's two
umbrella labor groups, sent delegations to Pyongyang. On Monday, a 96-member
delegation of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice flew into Pyongyang
to hold a special mass.
South Korea suspended tours to Mount Geumgang after Park Wang-ja, a 53-year-old
housewife from Seoul, was shot dead by a North Korean soldier while vacationing
in the mountain resort. The North claims she strayed into a restricted zone on
the North's east coast.
Two months after the incident and North Korea remained unchanged in its attitude,
continuing to refuse Seoul's request to help uncover facts behind the shooting.
In response, Seoul asked civic and non-governmental organizations to call off
visits to other sites in the North, citing negative public opinion among South
Koreans towards the communist neighbor.
Analysts say the recent decision to allow visits to the North come as Seoul
apparently feels the need to prevent ties with Pyongyang from worsening.
"The government appears to be taking it into account that if inter-Korean
relations deteriorate further, that will only provide cause for North Korea to
arm itself with nuclear weapons," a North Korea expert said requesting anonymity.
"Seoul currently has no leverage in resolving the nuclear crisis due to worsening
ties with North Korea," the expert said.
In a related move, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday again urged
Pyongyang to resume reconciliatory talks, saying he respects the spirit of all
inter-Korean agreements, including the two summit accords.
Lee's remark, made during a presidential panel meeting on reunification policy,
is seen as a further softening of his initial position towards Pyongyang's demand
that he respect and implement the two accords.
Relations have chilled since Lee took office in late February, vowing to take a
tougher stance toward Pyongyang over its human rights record and its nuclear
activities, among other issues. The death of the South Korean tourist also
increased tensions.
Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for Seoul's Unification Ministry, said Seoul granted
permission to the recent trips as the country is recovering from the shock of the
shooting death.
He said the government will positively consider future requests by additional
groups to visit North Korea. Eight more groups hope to send delegations of around
100 members each, he said.
Seoul's intelligence and presidential officials acknowledged North Korean leader
Kim Jong-il, 66, probably suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery in the
middle of August, and that he has been recovering as of late.
Reports of Kim's failing health came as the six-party denuclearization talks
involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas hit a
deadlock over how to verify the North's nuclear declaration, made as part of the
six-party deal signed last year.
North Korea asked the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday to remove
seals and surveillance equipment from a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, the
agency's chief said, raising concerns that the communist country may be preparing
to restart its partially disabled nuclear facility.
