Seoul's top envoy regrets North Korea's snub

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) - South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Sunday expressed regret that her North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho rejected her offer of talks while both were attending the ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore this weekend.

"Regrettably, it was not arranged. But I think we will have to fully respect the position of the other side," Kang told reporters according to Yonhap News Agency.

Ri reportedly used his attendance at the forum to try to convince fellow participants to ease up on sanctions against North Korea.

He also delivered a speech criticizing the United States for upholding international punitive measures, the latest of which were imposed after the North's sixth nuclear test last September.

As Pyongyang's state media has additionally shown frustration towards South Korea for failing to follow up on the recent peace mood by initiating economic cooperation projects due to the sanctions, Ri apparently claimed he was "not in a position" to accept Kang's proposal for a one-on-one meeting.

However, the pair did cross paths at a gala dinner in Singapore.

"[We] had a brief but candid conversation," Kang revealed.

She at least maintained some optimism, pointing to next month's U.N. General Assembly in New York as an "important" chance to work towards Seoul and Pyongyang's mutual goal of bringing the 1950-53 Korean War to an official end with a peace agreement -- although Washington is refusing to agree to such a treaty unless Pyongyang first fulfills its promise to denuclearize.