Posted August. 26, 2002 22:13,
North Korea`s Committee for National Reunification said yesterday that South Korea is obstructing the implementation of the agreements made between the two Koreas and emphasized that South Korea should honor the agreements and show its willingness to implement the agreements. North Korea is picking up an irrational quarrel with South Korea. North Korea, which has long delayed the implementation of the South-North agreements, is now passing the buck to South Korea. It is nonsense.
Some analyze that the announcement of the Committee for National Reunification is in an attempt to gain the upper hand in the 2nd meeting of the Economic Cooperation Promotion Committees, starting from today. They say if the result of the meeting fails to meet its expectation, the North will intend to hold South Korea accountable for failing to make progress.
The South Korean public is pinning hope on the meeting. For the meeting will be held at a time when North Korea has recently been actively engaged in promoting dialogue with South Korea, and dialogues between North Korea and the US. and between North Korea and Japan are gaining momentum. In a nutshell, the 2nd round of the meeting will provide an opportunity for the two Koreas to shape the future course for the inter-Korean relations in the 2nd half of the year. In this meeting two Koreas are expected to set the date for the construction of the cross-border railroad and discuss ways to jointly investigate the Geumgansan Dam.
But as the Committee for National Reunification, which has served as a window to South Korea, made such unreasonable remarks just one day before the significant meeting, concerns are deepening about the result of the meeting. It can be the testament that North Korea has not changed as much as it looks. As long as North Korea come to the negotiating table in an irresponsible manner, the likelihood that the inter-Korean economic cooperation would truly be carried out is very slim.
`Action is louder that words` is what we have continuously demanded to North Korea.
Whatever its intention is, this time North Korea urged South Korea to take follow-up measures to the agreements. We hope that North Korea would also honor what it said just this once.