Tension rises between the two Koreas, economic agreements and humanitarian aid at risk
Seoul (AsiaNews) - Tension remains high between the two Koreas following the killing of a South Korean tourist. The woman was slain last Friday, July 11, near a military area on Mount Kumgang. Even the proposal launched this morning by a South Korean political leader, to "resume talks", seems destined to go unheard.
Park Wang-ja, a 53-year-old housewife originally from Seoul, was walking on the beach at about five in the morning, when she mistakenly entered an off-limits area. The soldier on guard at first ordered her to halt, and then opened fire, mortally wounding the woman.
The tragic incident endangers peace talks and cooperation agreements, and also the slow process of peacemaking: the two countries could return to the Cold War era, causing the suspension of economic and humanitarian aid to the North, which, in retaliation, could ask for the exclusion of its neighbour from international meetings about its nuclear programme.
The day following the incident, during an emergency security meeting, South Korean president Lee Myung-bak stressed that "Park's death cannot be justified under any circumstances", because it is "not understandable how an unarmed female tourist was shot dead by the North Korean military". At the same time, he calls for a "thorough investigation" to shed light on the affair. The government of Seoul has also temporarily suspended tourism in the area where the incident happened.
For its part, Pyongyang has expressed its "regret" over the death of Park Wang-ja, but refuses categorically to "apologise", denying entry visas for a team of investigators from the South. The country has also turned down the idea of forming a team for a joint investigation of the woman's death.
"The responsibility for the incident rests entirely with the South side", a statement from the North Korean government reads. "The South should make a clear apology and take measures to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident". Pyongyang has also blasted the "unilateral" decision to suspend the tourism programme between the two Koreas, calling it a "provocation toward the North", and vigorously rejects the idea of a "resumption of talks between the two countries".
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