Red Cross urges DPRK to respond to dialogue on humanitarian issues

NAN-F-16

Response

Seoul, Aug. 18, 2017 (Xinhua/NAN) South Korea’s newly-elected Red Cross Society Chief has urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to respond to Seoul’s dialogue offer to discuss humanitarian issues between both sides.

Chairman of the Korean Red Cross Society, Park Kyung-seo, said in his inaugural speech on Friday that he hoped to have talks rapidly with the DPRK’s Red Cross.

Park Kyung-seo was elected on Aug. 8 to lead the organisation and received a final approval on Wednesday from President Moon Jae-in.

The Red Cross bodies of the two Koreas had acted as a channel for dialogue on humanitarian issues, including the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Moon government offered in July to hold Red Cross talks with the DPRK, which has been mum about the offer.

The South Korean Red Cross head said the society, in the two Koreas shared an experience of opening inter-Koreans talks and building trust with the humanitarian spirit.

He said it would be a historical mission for the two Red Cross bodies to open a new era of peaceful coexistence without any threat of war by resuming dialogue. (Xinhua/NAN)

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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole and Olisa Ifeajika