NKorea stops refusing to deal with SKorean leader, but places preconditions on resuming talks The USA Times

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

NKorea stops refusing to deal with SKorean leader, but places preconditions on resuming talks

PYONGYANG, North Korea - North Korea is taking a step back from earlier vows that it would never deal with South Korea's leader, but it is demanding preconditions for resuming talks that include the cancellation of U.S.-South Korea military drills.

South Korea is unlikely to accept most of the demands made in a statement Thursday by the Policy Department of the North's powerful National Defence Commission. It follows comments Wednesday by a senior U.S. diplomat that Washington is open to diplomacy if Pyongyang improves ties with Seoul.

North Korea is also demanding that South Korea apologize for failing to properly respect late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and that it stop criticizing Pyongyang over two deadly 2010 attacks blamed on North Korea.