PYONGYANG, Sept 30 (NNN-KCNA) – Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), called for the restoration of inter-Korean hotlines in early Oct, if South Korea changes its confrontational and habitual attitude towards Pyongyang.
Kim made the speech, on the second day sitting of the 5th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly yesterday.
He expressed the intention to see the north-south communication lines, that had been cut off due to the deteriorated inter-Korean relations, are restored first from early Oct, as part of efforts to realise the expectations and desire of the entire Korean nation, to see the early recovery of the north-south relations from the present deadlock.
However, it is important for the South Korean authorities to change its confrontational and habitual attitude towards the DPRK, and keep the stand of national independence through practices, not with words, deal with the inter-Korean relations, with a view to settling essential matters, and give weight to and sincerely implement the north-south declarations, Kim stressed.
He said, now the inter-Korean relations stand at the crossroads of serious choices — either to advance towards reconciliation and cooperation, after warming the present cooled-off relations, or to suffer from national division amid a vicious cycle of confrontation, and advanced the principled matters for the fundamental settlement of the north-south relations.
Kim also pointed out that the United States and South Korea are recently destroying the stability and balance around the Korean Peninsula and are inviting more complicated dangers of clash between the north and the south through excessive arms buildup and allied military activities that arouse concerns.
Inter-Korean relations have remained cold since the summit between the DPRK and the United States reached no deal in early 2019. The inter-Korean hotlines were briefly back in operation in late July, but the DPRK began refusing Seoul’s regular calls again two weeks later, in protest against the joint military drills by South Korea and the United States.– NNN-KCNA
