剧情简介
By Kim Rahn
Cheong Wa Dae has denied a Japanese media report that South Korean intelligence officials visited Pyongyang at least twice at the end of last year to discuss North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
It requested a correction to the report.
Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Monday the Asahi Shimbun's report about South Korean officials visiting Pyongyang was untrue. "We express strong regret over the story and request a correction," Kim said in a statement.
"If the two Koreas had been having prior talks, President Moon Jae-in wouldn't have used expression like ‘inter-Korean talks that came as a miracle.' North Korea's nominal head Kim Yong-nam wouldn't have also said, ‘Only 40 days before, nobody would have imagined things would go like this,'" Kim said.
Another Cheong Wa Dae official said at the end of last year, Moon was maintaining a hard-line stance that any talks would be unavailable unless North Korea changes its position on its nuclear program. "It is an impossible story to maintain such a stance and send someone to Pyongyang behind the scenes at the same time," he said.
Citing a South Korean source, the Japanese newspaper reported Sunday that Seoul sought the contact to improve its relations with the North. It also claimed intelligence officials went to Pyongyang via China at least twice since November to discuss Olympic participation, and claimed North Korea demanded the suspension of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises in return for participating in the Games.
It claimed major decisions were made at lightning speed based on this process: Seoul said on Dec. 19 it was talking with Washington to delay the joint drills; North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country's intention to take part in the Games in his New Year speech; Seoul proposed high-level inter-Korean talks the next day; and the two Koreas held talks and agreed on issues including the athletes' joint entrance at the opening ceremony of the Games.
The Japanese newspaper also alleged that in the prior contacts in Pyongyang, South Korea may have asked North Korea to scale down the military parade celebrating the foundation of the regime's armed forces, which the North held on Feb. 8, a day before the opening of the Olympics.
Cheong Wa Dae has denied a Japanese media report that South Korean intelligence officials visited Pyongyang at least twice at the end of last year to discuss North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
It requested a correction to the report.
Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Monday the Asahi Shimbun's report about South Korean officials visiting Pyongyang was untrue. "We express strong regret over the story and request a correction," Kim said in a statement.
"If the two Koreas had been having prior talks, President Moon Jae-in wouldn't have used expression like ‘inter-Korean talks that came as a miracle.' North Korea's nominal head Kim Yong-nam wouldn't have also said, ‘Only 40 days before, nobody would have imagined things would go like this,'" Kim said.
Another Cheong Wa Dae official said at the end of last year, Moon was maintaining a hard-line stance that any talks would be unavailable unless North Korea changes its position on its nuclear program. "It is an impossible story to maintain such a stance and send someone to Pyongyang behind the scenes at the same time," he said.
Citing a South Korean source, the Japanese newspaper reported Sunday that Seoul sought the contact to improve its relations with the North. It also claimed intelligence officials went to Pyongyang via China at least twice since November to discuss Olympic participation, and claimed North Korea demanded the suspension of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises in return for participating in the Games.
It claimed major decisions were made at lightning speed based on this process: Seoul said on Dec. 19 it was talking with Washington to delay the joint drills; North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country's intention to take part in the Games in his New Year speech; Seoul proposed high-level inter-Korean talks the next day; and the two Koreas held talks and agreed on issues including the athletes' joint entrance at the opening ceremony of the Games.
The Japanese newspaper also alleged that in the prior contacts in Pyongyang, South Korea may have asked North Korea to scale down the military parade celebrating the foundation of the regime's armed forces, which the North held on Feb. 8, a day before the opening of the Olympics.
全仁权
黄立行
柳时元
