South Korea asks UN to support inter-Korean talks

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on January 2 asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to support the resumption of talks with North Korea.

Illustration photo. (Source: m.korea.net)

According to the South Korean Presidential Office, on the occasion of the New Year, President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had a phone call, in which Ms. Park Geun-hye asked the UN Secretary-General and the UN to support resolving issues, including resuming inter-Korean talks, improving inter-Korean relations through resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, as well as increasing support for the North Korean people to improve their lives.

In response, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he would make every effort and provide necessary support to improve the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

On December 29, South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae proposed holding a high-level dialogue with North Korea in January 2015 on issues of mutual concern, including the reunion of families separated by the war.

Two days later, South Korean President Park Geun-hye pledged to establish a "practical and detailed" foundation and pave the way for reunification with North Korea, ending 70 years of division on the Korean Peninsula.

Seoul asserted that all issues between the two Koreas should be resolved through cooperation and dialogue and that North Korea should engage in talks without any preconditions if it truly wants to improve relations.

For his part, in his New Year's message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also proposed holding a summit with President Park Geun-hye, stressing that there is no reason not to hold top-level talks with South Korea once relations between the two countries improve.

According to Vietnam+