Nuclear negotiators from Washington and Pyongyang resumed stalled working-level talks in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 5, seven months after the collapse of a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
But the two countries failed to make tangible progress in their recent meeting.
“The US and North Korea have slightly different views (on their working-level talks). The US would like to continue to have a dialogue while North Korea wants to change (the approach) dramatically,” Kim said during a parliamentary audit.
The Unification Ministry said it will support a “fundamental change” in relations between the US and North Korea by seeking dialogue with the North continuously.
“Through continued dialogue, mutual security guarantees and close coordination with relevant countries, (the government) will provide support for bringing about a fundamental change in US-North Korea relations,” the ministry said.
It pledged to make efforts for a positive outcome major accords that had been agreed to in the agreements between the two Koreas — Panmunjom declaration and Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018.
The North has been lukewarm to the South’s various proposals for cooperation since its summit with the US fell apart in Hanoi last February, blaming Seoul for the failed talks.
Seoul’s request for prevention of African swine fever epidemic, a high-level military official meeting and working-level meeting for sports exchange didn’t get any response from Pyongyang.
The latest setback in inter-Korean relations was failing to persuade the North to allow South Korean TV stations to broadcast the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between South Korea and North Korea live. The game was held in Pyongyang on Tuesday.
The match became available for viewing through broadcasters after the South Korean players returned home Wednesday morning with a DVD containing a video of the game.
The minister apologized for the collapsed negotiations with the North for broadcasting the match live here.
“I feel a heavy sense of responsibility as a minister. … I will make more efforts to improve (the inter-Korean relations),” he said.
On Thursday, South Korean public broadcaster KBS said it decided not to broadcast the prerecorded video of the football match, which was initially scheduled to go on the air from 5 p.m. Thursday, citing the low-quality of the video footage.
North Korea did not allow South Korean media and spectators to visit and refused cheer squads from the match.
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