N. Korean leader stresses dialogue without mentioning nuclear weapons program

N. Korean leader stresses dialogue without mentioning nuclear weapons program. January. 02, 2016 11:24. zeitung@donga.com.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday urged South Korea to honor the spirit of the August 25, 2015 inter-Korean agreement to defuse military tension and vowed to make efforts to improve relations and promote dialogue with Seoul.

In his 29-minute New Year`s verbal speech broadcast live on the North`s state-run Korean Central Television, Kim urged the South to refrain from doing acts that hurt the conciliatory mood. "We are willing to have talks in an open-minded manner with anyone who wants peace and reunification," Kim said.

Kim did not mention North Korea`s "self-defensive nuclear deterrence" or "simultaneous line" of pursuing both nuclear weapons and economic development that were mentioned in his New Year`s speeches in 2014 and 2015. In this year`s speech, the North Korean leader stressed the importance of successfully holding the seventh congress of the Workers` Party of Korea scheduled for May and mentioned rebuilding the North`s moribund economy first before talking about military buildup and ideology. An official at the South Korean government said the speech indicated that Kim needs money and friendly relations with the South and the rest of the world in order to achieve economic development and improve people`s livelihood as he promised.