By Yoo Dong-ho
Staff Reporter

South Korea on Tuesday called on North Korea to resume inter-Korean ministerial talks at the earliest possible date.

The Unification Ministry expressed its regret over North Korea’s cancellation of the meeting scheduled Aug. 3-6 in the South’s capital of Seoul.

The Cabinet-level meeting was called off amid recent disputes over mass defections of North Koreans and Seoul’s refusal to let members of a civic group visit the communist country for the 10th anniversary of the death of its founding leader.

In a statement, the Unification Ministry called for the talks to handle major inter-Korean projects and continue the positive development of relations.

``It is important for both Koreas to implement inter-Korean accords in good faith and pursue cooperative projects without hindrances,’’ a ministry spokesman said in the statement.

The Cabinet-level talks are the highest channel of dialogue between the two sides. The discussions have been held alternately in the two countries’ capitals every few months.

Despite the latest setback, Seoul officials remained optimistic on the prospects for inter-Korean ties, saying that the substantial progress already achieved in inter-Korean relations is irreversible.

``Though the North is temporarily taking a hard-line stance, it will not bring relations to a complete halt,’’ said a Unification Ministry official. He added, ``The cooling period will not last for long, as the North is engaged in various cross border economic projects.’’

``It will be hard for the North to receive food aid and other economic concessions from the South if it cuts off inter-Korean talks,’’ Yoo Ho-yeol, an associate professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University, told The Korea Times. South Korea is one of the largest donors to the North and is sending 400,000 tons of rice to the impoverished regime.

A government official cautiously predicted that the strained inter-Korean relations will receive a boost from the upcoming inter-Korean economic dialogue slated for the end of the month.

President Roh Moo-hyun recently reiterated his commitment to stepping up efforts to promote inter-Korean cooperation and exchange projects under the policy of engaging North Korea.

The two nations have been at odds over last week’s mass defection of North Koreans from an unnamed Southeast Asian country, which the North termed a ``premeditated, organized act of kidnapping and terrorism committed by South Korean authorities in broad daylight.’’

Despite the angry reaction from the North, Seoul officials said there would be no change in their policy of accepting any North Koreans in third countries who want to defect to South Korea.

yoodh@koreatimes.co.kr