News Digest

N.Korea leader Kim Jong Un says open to summit with South

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was open to a high-level summit with neighbouring South Korea, days after a proposal from Seoul to resume dialogue. “If South Korean authorities sincerely want to improve relations between North and South Korea through talks, we can resume stalled high-level meetings,” Kim said in a New Year’s address broadcast by state media on Thursday. The address by Kim, who took power in the reclusive state after his father Kim Jong Il died in 2011, was his third televised New Year’s speech as leader of the country. Standing in a wood-panelled room in front of a red flag bearing the crest of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim spoke for about 30 minutes to an off-camera audience, and appeared to be reading from a script. He outlined the intentions of his government to further develop a series of special economic and tourism zones this year.

If the atmosphere and environment is there, there is no reason not to hold a high-level summit (with South Korea).

Kim Jong Un

A South Korean government statement later in the day said if North Korea was “sincere” about improved relations, it should accept Seoul’s earlier proposal for dialogue “as soon as possible”. South Korea proposed on Monday to resume stalled inter-Korean talks with North Korea in January to cover issues including reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The two Koreas have remained technically at war as the Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Reunification of the Korean peninsula has been a stated priority for both governments. North Korea has previously signalled intent to improve relations with the South, but subsequent provocations from the North or U.S.-South Korean military exercises have stalled progress.