SK leader Says People Fed Up With ‘For Show-Only’ Summits with North Korea
Yoon Suk Yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
SEOUL (Sputnik) – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday that people were fed up with summits between the leaders of South Korea and North Korea that were “for show only,” though there should always be an open door for talks between the two counties. “I think the people are a little fed up with summits that are for show only. We have to start with dialogue on humanitarian issues, and open the door to contact and dialogue between South and North,” the president was quoted by South Korean news agency as saying. Yoon noted that there was no reason to reject the idea of summits, though prior discussions had to take place so as to ensure a useful outcome of the meeting. The situation on the Korean Peninsula has become more tense as North Korean leader Kim Jong -un ordered the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile system last week to conduct a quick nuclear retaliatory strike. He also said that the United States, under the pretext of strengthening cooperation with South Korea and Japan, was creating an “Asian version of NATO.” In response, Seoul said that measures announced by Pyongyang were “absurd” and would only worsen the situation. At the same time, South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn noted that his country would still “unwaveringly” promote efforts to return to dialogue with the North.
