[Editorial] A Slap in the Face after Everything

North Korea has announced that it will postpone the exchange visit between separated families and the Tae Kwon Do demonstration team`s visit to Seoul, which were scheduled for October 16. The cited reason `South Choson`s current state` is not good enough. The North says, ``South Choson got itself involved in the events abroad, putting its troops and police on high alert and creating an unpredictable, grave environment.``

The North`s reference to `events abroad` seems to mean the US air attacks on Afghanistan. If so, this absolutely makes no sense. During this present crisis when the war is creating much anxiety across society, we should be working even harder on the North-South relation, building the basis for improving North Korea`s relationship with the US and increasing trust.

In any case, the North`s unilateral decision to postpone the meeting will come as a heavy disappointment for those families who have spent these past nights anticipating their union with the separated members. The recent death of Shil Hyang Min, who is around eighty years old, and the suicide of another eighty year old man two days ago weighs heavily on people`s hearts. The North`s postponement is a betrayal of the people`s hopes and desires. The North will have to understand that there are many other separated families beside the ones scheduled for the postponed meeting who will have to suffer and wait longer.

The North`s action indicates their true intention, to take everything it can while avoiding fulfilling its own responsibilities. Their announcement on the 10th that the Minister-level Summit meeting and the Committee for Promoting Economic Cooperation will proceed as planned only goes to show that this is the case. They ask for food and energy aid, and the new request for 2400 million dollars for opening Kumkang Mountain for tourism while keeping the separated family issue as an ace card for future occasions.

The North, however, should now that their recent action was a sorely mistaken move. The South will feel deep disappointment, anger, and increasing distrust. Even the current discussion on food aid will turn for the worse.

It is a pity that our government is hanging onto such an illogical nation as the North. Of course, South-North reconciliation is a good thing, but does the South Korean government continue to get slapped for its effort? The South must immediately move in the direction of getting clear guarantees on issues such as food aid and separated families.