North Korea threatens to cut ties with South
Friday, 17 October 2008
SEOUL, Oct 16 (Reuters): Destitute North Korea Thursday threatened to end all relations with South Korea, a major source of aid and cash, in anger at the hardline policies of its conservative president.
The move comes days after North Korea pledged to resume taking apart a nuclear plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium and return to a disarmament deal after the United States took the North off its terrorism blacklist and removed some trade sanctions.
"If the group of traitors keeps to the road of reckless confrontation with the DPRK (North Korea), defaming its dignity despite its repeated warnings, this will compel it to make a crucial decision including the total freeze of the North-South relations," the North's communist party newspaper said in a commentary, referring to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
The state media regularly hurls insults at Lee but this latest commentary was similar in form to a warning issued in April that was followed by the North cutting off direct dialogue and expelling South Korean officials from a joint factory park just north of the border.
The North has been angry at Lee since he took office in February and pledged to cut off what once had been largely unconditional aid. Analysts said the North, which often employs pressure tactics, may be moving now because it feels it has gained leverage through the nuclear agreement.
Under the compromise in a nuclear deal it has with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, North Korea pledged to allow in international inspectors to check claims it made about its nuclear program after Washington removes it from a terrorism blacklist.
The move comes days after North Korea pledged to resume taking apart a nuclear plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium and return to a disarmament deal after the United States took the North off its terrorism blacklist and removed some trade sanctions.
"If the group of traitors keeps to the road of reckless confrontation with the DPRK (North Korea), defaming its dignity despite its repeated warnings, this will compel it to make a crucial decision including the total freeze of the North-South relations," the North's communist party newspaper said in a commentary, referring to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
The state media regularly hurls insults at Lee but this latest commentary was similar in form to a warning issued in April that was followed by the North cutting off direct dialogue and expelling South Korean officials from a joint factory park just north of the border.
The North has been angry at Lee since he took office in February and pledged to cut off what once had been largely unconditional aid. Analysts said the North, which often employs pressure tactics, may be moving now because it feels it has gained leverage through the nuclear agreement.
Under the compromise in a nuclear deal it has with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, North Korea pledged to allow in international inspectors to check claims it made about its nuclear program after Washington removes it from a terrorism blacklist.