Seoul urges Pyongyang to respond to dialogue offer

Seoul Aug 18 (IANS) South Korea s newly-elected Red Cross society chief on Friday again urged North Korea to respond to Seoul s earlier dialogue offer to discuss humanitarian issues between the two sides.

Park Kyung-seo chairman of the Korean Red Cross Society said he sincerely hoped to have talks rapidly with North Korea s Red Cross Xinhua reported.

Park was elected on August 8 to lead the organisation and received a final approval on Wednesday from President Moon Jae-in.

The Red Cross bodies of the two Koreas had acted as a channel for dialogue on humanitarian issues including the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Moon government in July offered to hold Red Cross talks with North Korea which has remained silent about the offer.

The South Korean Red Cross head said the Red Cross societies of the two Koreas shared an experience of opening inter-Koreans talks and building trust with the humanitarian spirit.

He said it would be a historical mission for the two Red Cross bodies to open a new era of peaceful coexistence without any threat of war by resuming dialogue.

--IANS
py/sac