North Korea rejects offer of talks with South Korea

Jul 13, 2008, 10:43 GMT

Seoul - North Korea rejected an offer by South Korean President Lee Myun Bak to restart reconciliation talks, South Korean media reported Sunday, quoting the official North Korean daily Rodong Sinmun.

A commentary in the Rodong Sinmun criticized the offer as 'rhetorical deception,' and called Lee a 'traitor,' accusing him of adopting a 'confrontational North Korea policy.'

In a speech to parliament on Friday, Lee urged North Korea to again take up reconciliation talks with Seoul in the wake of recent progress in nuclear talks with Pyongyang.

His government is ready to discuss the implementation of agreements made at the 2000 and 2007 summits between the two countries as well as aid for impoverished North Korea, Lee said.

The North Korean newspaper said the speech was not worth considering, adding there was already a mechanism in place to implement agreements previously reached.

Relations with North Korea have cooled since the conservative Lee took office in February. South Lee favours a tougher course against the North than his liberal predecessors.

He angered Pyongyang when he made economic cooperation with the North contingent on progress by Pyongyang toward denuclearization.