North Korea proposes talks with South, Seoul put forward conditions
15:04 10/01/2011
MOSCOW, January 10 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea proposed South in an official letter to hold talks between the countries, while Seoul put forward its own conditions for the talks the Yonhap news agency reported citing a government source as saying.
The agency said the call came after Seoul rejected earlier proposals offered in what officials here called a "unilateral announcement." Pyongyang proposal was partly aimed at resuming Seoul's humanitarian aid to North Korea and tours to the North's Mount Kumgang, a large source of income for the country.
In the letter, Pyongyang called again for early resumption of government-level talks and Red Cross dialogue.
Seoul also proposed talks with North on Monday but concerning recent attack on an island near their disputed western sea border where four South Koreans were killed.
Tensions have been high since Pyongyang shelled the South's Yeonpyeong Island last November, killing four people.
The stalemate comes months after international investigators blamed Pyongyang for sinking a South Korean warship.
North Korea on Saturday called for an early resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas, proposing to hold talks within a month.
On Wednesday the reclusive communist state proposed "unconditional" resumption of the negotiations to ease tensions that followed the North's sinking of a South Korean warship in March and then its bombing of the South's Yeonpyeong Island in November.
Seoul on Thursday dismissed the offer as "propaganda."
In December, the United States and South Korea held large-scale military drills in the area, which led the North to threaten "holy war" using its nuclear deterrent.
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