April 24, 2024
Analysis

Plus ça change? Ministry of Unification flip-flops on talks with North Korea

Partisan objectives trump need for consistent inter-Korean policy, argue experts

South Korea's Ministry of Unification (MOU) underscored the importance of resuming inter-Korean cooperation on Tuesday, despite repeatedly insisting during the last year of the Park administration that Pyongyang's "provocative acts" meant it was inappropriate for the two Koreas to talk.

The unification ministry said Pyongyang had failed to respond to recent inter-Korean Red Cross talk proposals on resuming family reunions and inter-Korean military talks to prevent "hostile acts" along the two Koreas' maritime border.

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