Pyongyang tests another missile and ‘halts’ dialogue with Seoul

Yesterday, South Korean president Moon promised the reunification of the peninsula by 2045. The North called it "impudent and reckless".  Kim Jong-un wants a "plausible excuse" for joint military exercises between South Korea and the US.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - North Korea has declared this morning that it no longer wants to dialogue with the South, calling the resumption of talks at the end of joint military exercises between Seoul and the United States a "senseless" hope.  Pyongyang announced its position on the same day that the sixth missile test in just over three weeks took place took place - the seventh since the beginning of the year.

The North Korean Committee for the peaceful reunification of the country responded harshly to the speech delivered yesterday by the president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in.  On the occasion of commemorations for the liberation of Korea from Japanese rule (1910-45), Moon promised that the Korean peninsula will be reunited by 2045. The president said that the goal of denuclearizing the region is at its "most critical moment", because the talks between North and South seem to be blocked.  "A new Korean peninsula is waiting for us, which will bring peace and prosperity to itself, to East Asia and to the world," he added.

Through a statement published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the regime called Moon "impudent guy rare to be found" and rejected his speech as rhetorical and "reckless" remarks.  "They can clearly see what we feel now, i.e. we have nothing to talk any more with the South Korean authorities nor have any idea to sit with them again," it added.

In response to the statement, the Unification ministry in Seoul said that such criticism of Moon "is not at all useful" in advancing relations between the two Koreas and urged Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table.  "Our stance remains unchanged that inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation are the only way to implement inter-Korean agreements and that each other's positions can be coordinated in any degree through talks," deputy ministry spokesman Kim Eun-han said at a regular press briefing. "We urge the North to actively respond to (our efforts)," Kim said.

Pyongyang recently said that the inter-Korean dialogue will not resume until Seoul has offered a "plausible excuse" for military exercises with the United States.  In recent weeks, Pyongyang has conducted a series of missile tests in an apparent show of force against such maneuvers.  The Joint Command (Jcs) of the South Korean Armed Forces states that today's launch took place along the east coast, in Tongchon County.  Seoul experts did not disclose other details about the missiles, including type, flight range and maximum altitude.

• Korea
• North Korea
• South Korea
• dialogues
• peace
• denuclearization
• testing
• reunification
• regime