The inter-Korean working-level talks on the resumption of joint-tourism projects in Mount Geumgang and the border town of Gaeseong ended Monday with no significant progress as the North refused to agree to Seoul's long-standing demands.
The 18-member South Korean delegation sat down with its North Korean counterparts in Gaeseong and reiterated its stance on the cross-border projects.
Seoul demanded a set of safety measures and a pledge by Pyeongyang to ensure the protection of visitors.
The delegation also asked that Seoul officials be allowed to investigate the site in Mount Geumgang where a South Korean tourist was fatally shot in July 2008 by a North Korean soldier.
[Interview : Kim Nam-shik, Director-General
Inter-Korean Exchange & Cooperation ] "We have made our stance clear since the very day of the shooting that our three key demands be met. We again stressed that it is vital that the North go back, sincerely review the matter and make progress."
While expressing regret over the incident saying it was due to negligence North Korea submitted a proposition to resume the Gaesong tourism project on the 1st of March and Mt. Geumgang on the 1st of April.
In regards to Seoul's other demands the communist state reportedly expressed disapproval arguing that its own probe has already given an account of the incident and that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il discussed safety issues with the chief of South Korea's Hyundai Group Hyun Jung-eun.
Hyun visited the North in August last year to push for the release of a South Korean worker who was arrested for allegedly criticizing the regime and persuading a North Korean collegue to defect to the South.
The Unification Ministry says that the South has withheld North Korea's proposal for the follow-up dialogue to be held on Friday for now saying the regime should show more progress in its stance if the future talks are to be realized.
[Reporter : Yoo Ji-hae
julz1201@arirang.co.kr] "Despite the fact that the two Koreas failed to reach a compromise Seoul hopes such a series of dialogue could further enhance relations on the Korean peninsula and ultimately lead to an inter-Korean summit this year which could support the process of denuclearization.
Yoo Ji-hae, Arirang News."
FEB 09, 2010
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Thursday, SEP 09, 2010, (KST) 
