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SKorea agrees to more talks with NKorea despite threats
South Korea agreed on Monday to hold talks with North Korea on restarting lucrative tourism projects in the communist state, despite Pyongyang's weekend threat to attack its neighbour.
South Korea agreed on Monday to hold talks with North Korea on restarting lucrative tourism projects in the communist state, despite Pyongyang's weekend threat to attack its neighbour.
The unification ministry, responding to a proposal from the North, said it sent a message suggesting the talks be held on February 8 at the Kaesong joint industrial estate just north of the heavily guarded border.
The North had wanted the talks held at Mount Kumgang, its resort on the east coast, on January 26-27.
On Sunday the North's military lashed out at South Korea's plan to launch a preemptive strike to thwart any nuclear attack, calling it "an open declaration of war."
The threat was sparked by comments last week from the South's defence minister, who said Seoul would have to launch such a strike if a nuclear attack from its neighbour was imminent.
Analysts say the sanctions-hit North seems eager to promote joint business projects with the South despite political tensions.
The tours to Kumgang earned the cash-strapped North tens of millions of dollars a year until they were suspended by the South in 2008.
