Ban welcomes proposal for ‘high-level dialogue’ between two Koreas

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed a proposal by the Government of the Republic of Korea to kick-start a high-level dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to thaw relations between the two countries.

In a statement issued today by his spokesperson’s office, Mr. Ban applauded the move towards an inter-Korean exchange adding that he “sincerely hopes” that the DPRK authorities “positively consider the proposal and engage in dialogue.”

“The Secretary-General reiterates his belief that renewed engagement and dialogue is the only way forward for building trust and promoting inter-Korean relations,” the statement continued.

“He will not spare any efforts to support such meaningful engagement.”

Just last month, the DPRK released two United States nationals, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, who had been sentenced to hard labour in the DPRK after their separate arrests in November 2012 and April 2014, respectively.

In a message following their release, Mr. Ban said the move had provided hope for “positive momentum” as international parties worked to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, particularly following October talks between the two Koreas in which they had agreed to hold yet another round of high-level talks.