President of the ROK says door open to dialogue with DPRK

SEOUL - President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Park Geun-hye said Thursday that door is open to dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for peaceful reunification on the Korean peninsula.

Park said in her New Year's speech that her country will always open a door to dialogue with the DPRK and go toward the era of peaceful reunification on the peninsula while dealing sternly with provocations with a watertight security.

The president noted that the watertight security is the basic foundation for national development.

The inter-Korean relations soured after vice ministers'talks, held earlier this month, failed to reach any agreement.

During the talks, Pyongyang demanded a resumption of tours to the Mount Kumgang resort, but Seoul called for a separate working-level dialogue to discuss the issue.

Instead, the ROK focused on a regular reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, which the DPRK claimed should be preceded by the resumption of the tourist project.