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North Korean Leader Calls for National Reunification With the South
In July, “an official from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, who refused to be named, citing office rules, confirmed that the spy agency believes the younger Kim has executed about 70 officials”, the Associated Press reported.
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North Korea’s announcement that the country’s top official in charge of relations with South Korea died in a traffic accident gave few details, triggering questions about the death of a man who was dubbed as a close associate of absolute leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim said he was open to dialogue with any country that is open to “reconciliation and peace” on the Korean peninsula, while warning that his country was open to war if provoked by “invasive” outsiders.
North Korea’s main newspaper showed photos of a visibly upset Kim Jong Un holding back tears beside Kim’s open casket. The South blamed the North, which denied responsibility.
The two sides met for talks in August after a sustained military stand-off and agreed to reduce tension and hold further talks at vice-ministerial level, although subsequent negotiations have been fruitless.
A top aide to Kim Jong Un, Kim Yang Gon, 73, has died in a vehicle accident.
The Yonhap news agency quoted Kim Jong-un as saying during his New Year’s address that it was necessary to “open the way” for normalization of relations between the two Koreas.
Applause was played at various points throughout what appeared to be a pre-recorded message.
Kim’s New Year’s message will be announced at noon (Pyongyang Time), the North’s Korean Central Television said without elaborating.
Speeches by a North Korean leader used to be rare.
North Korea’s leader took a conciliatory tone in his New Year speech. The official had been a member of the North Korea delegation that reached the pact last summer.
Impoverished North Korea is under heavy United Nations sanctions related to its nuclear and missile programmes.
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The North’s New Year’s message is closely monitored by South Korea and others as it offers clues to the North’s annual policy goals.