Seoul once again proposes reunification talks with Pyongyang

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea #reunification #Kaesong It has been reported that South Korea has once again proposed talks with North Korea to discuss a range of issues that are necessary to lay the foundation for the unification of the divided countries. However, there are doubts on whether Pyongyang would agree because it has always any such attempts with distrust – it also wants a unified Korea but, with Pyongyang in charge.
Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae has informed in a televised news conference that South Korea wants talks to be held in January and would discuss exchange programs, joint projects and laws needed for a unified Korea. Ryoo has added that South Korea hopes the proposed talks would also discuss resuming reunion of families who have been separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.
It may be recalled that Seoul had launched a government committee on the unification in July, six months after President Park Geun-hye had informed in a New Year's press conference that unifying with North Korea would bring an economic "bonanza," not massive financial costs associated with any Korean unification. However, North Korea turned the proposal and made an angry response, saying the plans of Park were nothing but a plot to topple Pyongyang and build a unified Korea under a South Korean system.
The bitterness between the two Koreas has resulted in the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex in April 2013 – this setup was in North Korean territory and while North supplied the manpower, south did the investment. It provided employment to North Koreans but that has been stopped. Reunification could help both the sides.