S.Korea proposes talks with North to discuss Mt Kumgang resort

Ananti

28/10/2019 03:11

SEOUL, Oct 28 (Reuters) - South Korea proposed talks with
North Korea on how to handle the North's Mt Kumgang resort, once
a rare example of cooperation between the Koreas, which
Pyongyang wants removed amid frayed ties, Seoul's Unification
Ministry said on Monday. 
    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week he wanted the
"shabby" and "capitalist" facilities removed and rebuilt in the
latest sign of cooling relations between the two Koreas.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N277417 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N27A0UY
    The Unification Ministry, which oversees inter-Korean
affairs, said it asked the North to hold a working-level meeting
to discuss the issue. Pyongyang suggested last week the subject
be handled through the exchange of documents. 
    "Our consistent position is that all issues of inter-Korean
relations should be resolved through dialogue and discussions,"
ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min told a briefing. 
    "There needs to be sufficient consultations to reasonably 
resolve the issue since a unilateral step regarding our
companies' property rights runs counter to public sentiment and
may damage inter-Korean relations," he said. 
    The proposal did not specify a date or venue for talks, Lee
said. It was delivered to two state agencies, each handling
cross-border issues and tourism, through a liaison office in the
North's border city of Kaesong.
    Any pullout of South Korean facilities from the scenic
resort would be a fresh blow for President Moon Jae-in's
attempts to promote peace between the old foes, including
efforts to kick-start stalled business projects.
    Mt Kumgang, located on the North's eastern shore just beyond
the heavily fortified border separating the two Koreas, is one
of two major inter-Korean economic initiatives, along with the
Kaesong factory park. 
    Inter-Korean ties have grown strained this year, with the
North shunning formal talks with the South, amid stalled
progress in denuclearisation talks between Pyongyang and
Washington.
    Lee said the government could not predict whether the North
would respond to its offer. 
    A coalition of some 200 civic groups working on inter-Korean
peace, better known as Minhwahyup, issued a statement on Monday
calling for the Kumgang and Kaesong programmes to be restarted.

 (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Paul Tait)
 ((hyonhee.shin@thomsonreuters.com; 822 6936 1474;))