The Korea Herald

피터빈트

NK tells South not to hesitate about cross-border cooperation

By Yonhap

Published : July 13, 2018 - 11:06

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North Korea's media urged South Korea to more actively engage in cross-border cooperation Friday, making a veiled criticism that Seoul is hesitating under the influence from other countries.

Uriminzokkiri, the North's external propaganda website, said any delay in cooperation would be an "irresponsible attitude" running counter to expectations for reconciliation and prosperity. Cross-border cooperation is something that the two Koreas should determine on their own, with no need to be influenced by outside countries, it added.

"There have been remarks being made without hesitation inside South Korea about the sanctions on the North, cost problems and it being impossible to speed up (cooperation) as it is paying attention to how others see it and being entangled with the past," it said.


(Yonhap) (Yonhap)

"This is utterly an irresponsible attitude at a time when we are facing a watershed moment for reconciliation, peace and prosperity," it said. "It is no one other than us, our people, who should lead North-South cooperation projects."

The website noted that the North is firmly committed to implementing the summit agreement reached by the leaders of the two Koreas last month, adding that there is no need to hesitate any more.

South and North Korea have been intensifying inter-Korean exchanges and contacts since their April 27 summit. A flurry of working-level talks have been held to discuss cooperation on such areas as railways, roads, sports and forestry ever since.

Multilayered sanctions on the North remain in place, however, making it hard for the two to pursue substantive cooperation.

Seoul and Washington also remain adamant that full-fledged inter-Korean cooperation should wait until the North carries out its promised "complete denuclearization." (Yonhap)