North wants pace of rapprochement slowed down: unification min.

It has been revealed that North Korea asked the Seoul government to slow down the implementation of the agreement reached between the two sides during the 3rd round of ministerial talks (Sept. 27-30).

Unification Minister Park Jae-Kyu told a working breakfast at Sejong Hotel in Seoul Thursday sponsored by the Sejong Institute that the North requested the postponement of inter-Korean projects for a couple of months but predicted the South would have a hard time catching up with the North as the latter would quicken the pace of inter-Korean rapprochement next spring.

He did not understand the North¡¯s statement at the time, he explained, but the recent string of encounters between North Korea and the United States, Japan and China led him to grasp the full meaning of the utterance. He added that North Koreans have their hands full with events commemorating the anniversary of the ruling Workers Party and successive contacts with American officials until the end of November.

These developments are likely to put off the process of accounting for separated family members, the second round of working level meetings of economic officials and military talks, all scheduled for October. The exchange visits of families for reunions slated for Nov. 2 will also be postponed.

As for scholarly and cultural exchanges, North Korea expressed its wish at the ministerial meeting that they be delayed until next spring because its personnel concerned were tied up with other plans, Park said. He added that it was agreed behind the scenes that the exchange of students and professors should take place early next year and a note to that effect was received.

Later on, after the breakfast, Park denied the existence of a note written by either side. Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Kwan-Se subsequently confirmed only that a group of 300 academic and cultural figures -- 100 students, 100 professors and 100 artists and writers -- will visit the other side early next year.