South Korean Political Parties Welcome Pyongyang’s Peaceful Intentions

Speaking on KCNA, Pyongyang’s state-controlled television network, Kim said, “Anyone who hopes for unification could hold a frank conversation”, adding, “If South Korea hopes for peaceful unification, they must uphold the June 15 declaration”.

According to official sources, the incident happened around 6:15 am on Tuesday and a state funeral would be held for the “solid revolutionary”, presided over by Kim Jong-un.

Leader Kim has earned a reputation for ruthlessness after sacking previous high-ranking officials and having his uncle executed.

The death of the senior North Korean official is the latest death or disappearance of someone within the close circle of deputies to the country’s leader.

“I worry that we can not avoid long suspension of a dialogue between South and North Korea” following Kim’s death, said Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. North Korea’s policy toward South Korea during the rule of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un would be inexplicable without accounting for Kim Yang-gon. His reappearance alongside Kim Yang Gon’s death follows numerous reshuffles and deaths in the secretive leadership.

On Wed., North Korean state media stated its top negotiator with the South, Kim Yang Gon, had been killed in a traffic accident.

In his New Year’s Eve address, President Kim Jong-un vowed to increase the “political and military might” of his country and develop “more diversified attack means”.

In his very first public address, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would “never have to tighten their belts again”.

During those meetings, North Korean representatives insisted on discussing only the resumption of the Kumgangsan tourist venture, a special region in North Korea for South Korean tourists, which has been a cash cow for the regime.

The death earlier this week of Pyongyang’s point man on ties with Seoul had raised some speculation that Mr. Kim might signal a more hawkish inter-Korean policy, but he said he wanted to restart stalled talks.

Ri Je-Gang, another top party official, also reportedly died in a auto crash in 2010 at a time when he was rumoured to be involved in a power struggle with Jang Song-Thaek. The spy agency, which has a mixed record on tracking North Korea, said Wednesday it was trying to check details about Choe.

“There are nearly no cars and security for high-officials travelling in cars is extremely tight. Given that, one is bound to be skeptical about any such report coming from North Korea”.