North Korean Leader: We Can Engage in Dialogue if Seoul Wishes

Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, stated in a message broadcast on state television to mark the beginning of the year 2015 that he is ready to engage in high-level talks with Seoul if South Korea 'sincerely' desires it. This statement comes after South Korean officials expressed their desire for negotiations with Pyongyang last Monday. In his New Year message, which was pre-recorded and aired on state television, Kim Jong-un said, 'If South Korean officials sincerely wish to improve relations through dialogue between the North and South (Korean Peninsula), we can resume high-level meetings.' According to the North Korean leader, 'If the atmosphere is suitable, there is no reason not to hold meetings at the senior level.' South Korean officials had requested that negotiations between the two Koreas be resumed, including discussions about families separated during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. On the other hand, Park Geun-hye, the President of South Korea, has asked the military to maintain readiness. According to Yonhap, the South Korean state news agency, the President stated in her New Year message, 'We must end the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula and bring an end to the era of separation.' Ms. Park, speaking to the 650,000-strong South Korean military, emphasized that enhancing security is a 'must' in the event of a possible unification of the two Koreas. The New Year speech by the young North Korean leader is his third such address delivered through audio-visual messages. Previous North Korean leaders, including his father, limited themselves to issuing official messages in newspapers. Kim Jong-il, the current leader's father, typically avoided issuing audio-visual messages. CNN reports that during his 17 years of leadership in North Korea, he never issued a television message. Reuters states that he only did so once.