N.Korea Likely to Resume High-Level Talks

North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun on Friday urged the South Korean government to implement various past agreements and added Seoul recently said it would discuss any issues arising between the two Koreas.

This apparently referred to Seoul's pledge not to restrict the agenda for another round of high-level cross-border talks proposed on Aug. 11.

On Aug. 17, Kim Yang-gon, the director of North Korea's United Front Department, complained to New Politics Alliance for Democracy lawmaker Park Jie-won and others who were on a visit to the North that Seoul was proposing another round of the talks even as South Korea-U.S. military drills were getting underway.

Kim delivered a wreath to Park to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of former president Kim Dae-jung.

Friday's bulletin was the first time the official North Korean media have mentioned the South Korean proposal to resume the talks.

"Considering that the North also wants to see the removal of economic sanctions and resumption of the package tours to Mt. Kumgang, it will likely respond in some form once the ongoing joint exercises come to an end" in early September, a government official here speculated.

To save face, the North will probably suggest another date and agenda, he added.