Korea Times, December 28, 2006
By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter
Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung on Thursday said North Korea should make more progress in the nuclear disarmament talks before South Korea can resume its aid shipments to Pyongyang.
``There are several preconditions to our resuming the halted aid shipments. To name a few, more progress in the six-party talks and the resumption of stalled inter-Korean talks as well as more favorable public sentiments toward helping the North,'' Lee said during his first press conference at the ministry in Seoul.
Soon after the Stalinist state's test-firing of seven ballistic missile in July, Seoul suspended its assistance, including some 500,000 tons of rice and 100,000 tons of fertilizer. Since the historic inter-Korean summit in 2000, the South has provided the North with more than 2.4 million tons of rice.
Lee's predecessor, former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok had hinted that Seoul would resume the aid shipment if the North returns to the six-party talks, but the new minister ruled out the possibility of immediately resuming the aid program. Lee took office on Dec. 11 despite objections from the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP).
Lee pointed out the National Assembly's recent decision to cut next year's budget for the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund from 650 billion won to 500 billion won. The government fund has served as a lifeline for cross-border business projects, such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mt. Kumgang tourism program, and Seoul's economic aid to the impoverished North.
The minister said the decision reflects public sentiment on the North's nuclear threat.
Lee renewed his call for restarting inter-Korean dialogue to restore the soured ties between the two Koreas.
``The year 2007 should serve as a very important opportunity for us to initiate a peace process on the Korean Peninsula,'' Lee said. ``In order to do so, inter-Korean talks should resume and play a crucial role.''
Ever since the 19th inter-Korean Cabinet-level talks came to an abrupt end last July, relations between the two Koreas have been strained. After the North's underground nuclear test on Oct. 9, tensions increased further.
Lee dismissed speculations that the Roh Moo-hyun government is working on an inter-Korean summit ahead of next year's presidential election.
``As far as I know, the government is not making any efforts to hold the summit,'' Lee said.
The minister also promised to provide related documents and press releases both in Korean and English to help foreign reporters better understand the government's efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang returned to the nuclear negotiations following its first-ever underground nuclear blast, but the China-hosted talks ended last week without any significant progress.
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