[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On the 17th at 9 a.m., the South and North Korea conducted a normal business commencement call between the Inter-Korean Liaison Offices, but the Ministry of Unification stated that there was no mention of the North's notification document regarding inter-Korean matters.
A Ministry of Unification official said, "It is understood that only a routine call to start work was made and then ended," adding, "Neither the South nor the North mentioned the notification document or working-level talks."
The government attempted to send a notification document to North Korea through the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office the previous morning, proposing working-level talks on COVID-19 quarantine cooperation, and in the afternoon, they again inquired whether it had been received, but the North ultimately did not accept it.
The notification document from Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se to Kim Yong-chol, head of the United Front Department in the North, states the South's willingness to provide vaccines, medicines, masks, diagnostic tools, and to carry out technical cooperation based on the South's quarantine experience.
The government’s position is to wait regarding the North's non-receipt of the notification document.
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