Politics

Pyongyang still snubbing Seoul despite more conciliatory messages

Seoul, Sep 27 (EFE).- North Korea continues not to respond to calls made by Seoul through the telephone line established between the two countries, a spokeswoman for the Southern Unification Ministry told EFE, despite the latest more conciliatory messages Pyongyang sent recently.

“North Korea did not respond to the call we made at 9.00 (0.00 GMT),” said the spokeswoman at the ministry, in charge of relations with Pyongyang.

Seoul normally makes two calls a day through the military link telephone line, but North Korea has not answered since it decided to cut communications in August in protest at the maneuvers in South Korean territory between Seoul and Washington, which Pyongyang sees as a trial to invade their territory.

From the following weeks the tension increased in the peninsula.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in late August that the North Korean regime reactivated nuclear facilities to obtain fuel that can be used in bombs and last week North Korea tested several missiles.

Seoul responded to these latest weapons tests, by testing a submarine-launched ballistic missile and announcing several significant military developments that show a new weapons escalation in the peninsula.

However, leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-yong, issued two more conciliatory statements Friday and Saturday, urging Seoul and Washington to improve their rhetoric toward Pyongyang if they wanted to advance dialogue in the peninsula.

These messages make analysts think about the possibility North Korea may want to initiate a rapprochement.

On the other hand, Pyongyang, which has closed its borders and to weather the pandemic, has so far ignored Washington’s repeated and insistent proposals to resume the dialogue on denuclearization, stalled since 2019.

North Korea will hold a session of its parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly, Tuesday from which it is believed some diplomatic messages could be issued. EFE

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