WORLD> Asia-Pacific
S. Korea proposes talks with DPRK over detained worker
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-15 17:22

SEOUL - South Korea proposed to hold official talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) next week, hoping to discuss over a South Korean worker detained in the DPRK, a ministry spokesman said Friday.

"We sent a letter to the North (DPRK) this morning to propose to meet early next week," said South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun, after mentioning that the DPRK rejected South Korea's earlier proposal of holding the government-level meeting on Friday.

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A three-member South Korean delegation was sent to the DPRK's border city of Kaesong on Tuesday in hopes of setting up the agenda for an inter-Korean government-level meeting, the second after the first round on April 21, but the efforts ended in vain, the spokesman said.

Seoul officials were returning home Friday without any progress as Pyongyang refused to mention on the detained South Korean worker, a spokesman said.

Pyongyang's position remained unchanged, the spokesman said, adding that Seoul also stays firm in that it will continue to press the issue of the worker.

The DPRK sought an inter-Korean dialogue last month to discuss over the operation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, while South Korea was mainly concerned in the safety of the South Korean worker who has been detained in the DPRK since March 30 for criticizing the DPRK regime.

During the first round of talks on April 21, which only lasted 22 minutes, the DPRK focused on pay raises and contract revisions for the workers in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, refusing to bring up the issue of the detained worker, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said.

Although the DPRK also wants to have talks as soon as possible, they do not wish to involve the subject of the detained worker, according to the ministry spokesman.

Pyongyang is yet to give details on the safety of the South Korean worker.