韩国将取消南北会谈归咎于朝鲜 South Korea Blames North for Cancelled Talks

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 韩国统一部部长柳吉在说,取消首尔与平壤的高层会谈令人遗憾,但这是双方新关系中的必要组成部分。
 
会谈本来定于星期三在首尔举行,但在最后一刻取消了会谈计划,看来原因是围绕代表团团长人选问题的相对较小的分歧。
 
柳吉在星期三说,取消会谈的责任在朝鲜方面。他表示,如果朝鲜希望改善与首尔的关系,就必须展示诚意。
 
韩国官员说,朝鲜拒绝派遣官员参加会谈,原因是平壤对韩国任命一名副部长而不是部长担任代表团团长感到不满。
 
就在一天前,平壤拒绝接受首尔有关举行部长级谈判的提议。自2007年以来,韩国和朝鲜一直没有举行过部长级谈判。朝鲜没有就举行会谈事宜发表任何公开声明。
 
首尔星期三表示,韩国使用了双方政府间的热线,但朝鲜方面没有接听。平壤上星期恢复了这一热线,以便就谈判事宜进行协调。
 

South Korea's unification minister says the cancellation of high-level talks with the North is an unfortunate but necessary part of its new relationship with Pyongyang.

The talks, which were to be held Wednesday in Seoul, were called off at the last minute because of what appears to be a relatively minor disagreement over who would represent each country.

Unification minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said Wednesday the blame for the cancelled talks lies with the North, which he said must show sincerity if it wants improved relations with Seoul.

South Korean officials say the North refused to send officials to the talks because it was offended by the South's nomination of a vice-minister, rather than minister, as its chief delegate.

Just days earlier, Pyongyang had rejected Seoul's offer to hold minister-level negotiations, which the two Koreas have not held since 2007. There has been no public statement by the North on the status of the talks.

Seoul said Wednesday that North Korea is not answering an inter-governmental hotline that Pyongyang restored last week in an effort to coordinate the negotiations.