January 8, 2011
SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea on Saturday renewed its call for an early resumption of dialogue with South Korea, suggesting talks be held late this month or in early February.
In a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, it also said it would reopen an office for inter-Korean economic cooperation at the North's Kaesong City, which it shut down amid high tensions last year.
The North's official Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland stressed that there is "neither conditionality in the north's proposal for dialogue nor need to cast any doubt about its real intention."
"The south Korean authorities should discard any unnecessary misgiving, open their hearts and positively respond to the north's proposal and measure," it said in a statement.
Pyongyang on Wednesday called for "unconditional and early" resumption of talks to defuse tensions which soared when North Korea shelled a South Korean island in November, killing four people, including two civilians,
But Seoul and Washington responded coolly to the call, saying Pyongyang would be judged on actions rather than words.
