North, South Korea Trade Barbs on Opening Border

North Korea today swiftly countered a South Korean challenge to temporarily open its heavily fortified border, laying down strict conditions before Koreans could walk between the two halves of their nation.

Pyongyang imposed the conditions less than 10 hours after South Korean President Roh Tae Woo made the offer to open the border for five days centered around Korean independence day on Aug. 15.

Roh, calling Pyongyang’s bluff, was echoing a proposal similar to one Pyongyang made two weeks ago that Seoul then cold-shouldered as “a piece of propaganda.”

A Roh spokesman, quoted by the Yonhap news agency, said Seoul would open the border regardless of Pyongyang’s reaction.

The spokesman said the issue will be discussed Saturday by the South Korean Cabinet. There was no other immediate comment from the presidential spokesman.

South Korea’s state-run Korea Broadcasting System quoted Pyongyang as saying North Korea demanded the demolition of a wall along the border, repeal of laws banning travel to the North and formation of a joint North-South committee to resolve border issues.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency quoted Pyongyang authorities as saying:

“We declare that if the above-said matters are resolved, we will believe what the South Korean authorities said is true and realize a partial travel through Panmunjom without time limit from the 15th of August, though limited.”

The statement was milder than a report earlier today on South Korean state radio reporting that Pyongyang had rejected Roh’s offer as “fraudulent propaganda.”

Analysts and diplomats had hoped Roh’s offer to open the border could prompt a new round of dialogue between the Koreas, bitterly opposed since the 1950-53 Korean War.