Last year, North Korea's rulers Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae In met in the border town of Panmunjom and shook hands with each other in publicity. It was a sign of relaxation, but efforts to bring the countries closer are once again stalling. Now North Korea refused another meeting.
According to state media, Kim Jong Un will not arrive at a special summit with the Southeast Asian community of states (Asean). Although North Korea was grateful for the invitation Moon sent in a personal letter on November 5, Kim said there was no "just cause" for traveling to the event in the South Korean city of Busan next week, the state media said ,
The government in Seoul has been accused of relying on the US to solve inter-Korean problems and of failing to comply with Kim's arrangements with Moon at their three summits.
Threats from North Korea
Pyongyang recently threatened to demolish a South Korean resort on North Korean territory. It was once considered a sign of rapprochement.
The South Korea-Asean meeting will take place on 25th November to mark the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the two sides. Seoul had also hoped to reopen the current stagnant inter-Korean relations should Kim join. South Korea is not an Asean member, the meeting is scheduled as a special summit between the confederation and South Korea.
"At a time when the promises made in Panmunjom, Pyongyang and Mt. Paektu were not implemented, a meeting of the leaders of North and South Korea would be nothing more than a formality," Pyongyang said.
Moon and Kim met bilaterally twice in the Panmunjom border town last year and once in September in the North Korean capital. From Pyongyang they also made a trip to Paektu.