Published: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 14:29:15 +0900

So much for meaningful inter-Korean talks:

North Korean Senior Cabinet Counselor Kwon Ho-ung on Wednesday told a stunned South Korean delegation at ministerial talks in Busan that his country?s Songun or military-first policy ?helps the security of South Korea too, and a vast majority of South Korean citizens have benefited from it.? North Korea's missile launches and nuclear weapons program are apparently a boon to us. The least we can do in return, Kwon indicated, is let our delegations visit ?sacred places? in the North like Kim Il-sung?s embalmed cadaver, suspend Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, and abolish the National Security Law. Oh, and deliver the 500,000 tons of rice and light industry raw materials we promised.

I'm sure there are people in the US and Japanese government saying I told you so and laughing their asses off after reading the above paragraph and who can blame them.

At least one person in the South Korean government has had enough with the North Koreans with the (anti)Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok having this to say in response to the North:

South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok in his speech warned things could ?get out of control? if the North launches any further missiles. Lee gave short shrift to Kwon?s claims for the Songun policy. ?Has anyone in the South asked the North to protect our safety?" he demanded. "North Korea can help us protect our security when it stops launching missiles and dismantles its nuclear program".

I have to give Minister Lee credit, he is the first SK governmental official I have seen to actually stand up to the North Koreans. In fact it appears that he has pissed off the North Koreans so much that they are withdrawing from the talks. From the Marmot's Hole:

The two sides met this morning at 10:30, but apparently couldn?t narrow their differences (read: the South wouldn?t pay protection money). So the delegated decided to end the meeting following today?s concluding meeting at 2:30.

This would be the first time since November 2001 that intra-Korean ministerial talks have failed to produce a joint statement, and the first time ever that the talks have ended early.

Reportedly, the North kept talking about the 500,000 tons of rice the South promised them, while the South stood firm in its position that until there was an end to this missile mess, there would be no discussion of rice aid. No date has been set for the next round of talks, although the two sides might agree to one this afternoon.

So any bets when the South Koreans will kiss and make up with the Norks and give them their bribe money or is South Korea finally growing some balls?

Tags: korea, north korea

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what seems to be confusing everyone is the lengths North Korea will go to- to buttress its extremist position on everything from food aid, to international negotiations of any kind!

i beleive it must be the most isolated regime in the world - and dictatorship that it is - there is no possibility in the short term of seeing major changes in its act.

So the surreal atmosphere in South Korea is beyond belief!