SEOUL
North Korea made a new conciliatory offer towards its southern neighbor on Monday -- less than a week after its last message of peace was rejected by the South.
The North announced via its state news agency that it would send a squad of cheerleaders to the Asian Games, due to start in South Korea in September.
It would be the first time for North Korea to do so since the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships and the subsequent end of the South’s so-called "Sunshine Policy," which had been characterized by greater cooperation efforts.
North Korea’s latest move comes after years of fluctuating tensions and provocations, including missile launches and a nuclear test last February.
"Our sincere decision this time will melt the frozen North-South relations with the heat of national reconciliation while displaying the entire Korean people's will of unification," read the government statement.
The North also called for both sides to "pave the way to mend ties," despite seeing last week’s peace offer turned down.
Addressing the upcoming arrival of athletes and cheerleaders, Seoul’s unification ministry said it would deal with the matter in line with international norms.
But regarding politics, ministry spokesperson Kim Eyi-do told reporters Monday that "the North's unilateral buck-passing attitude could not solve any problems."
One of the key stumbling blocks in inter-Korean relations has been the North’s interpretation of joint South Korean-American military drills as a preparation for war.
The South’s refusal to bend to North Korean demands to halt such drills has traditionally prompted further provocations -- the North conducted three separate rocket and missile tests within a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Korea last Thursday.
North Korea’s recent calls for peace came before and after Xi’s choice to travel to the South before China’s traditional ally the North -- a possible sign of frustration with the North Korean leadership as the decision broke with Chinese presidential protocol.
www.aa.com.tr/en
