Seoul calls on Pyongyang back to talk

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea(ROK) called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come to the dialogue table to solve the political deadlock with its northern neighbor.

"The suspension in operation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of the inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, is an act that does not do any good to our nation's future," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said in a formal statement.

Ryoo said that "the normalization of the Kaesong complex should be made through dialogue," urging Pyongyang to "come to the dialogue table to discuss what the North (DPRK) wants."

Asked whether the statement is a formal proposal for dialogue with Pyongyang, Ryoo told reporters that it would be a declaration to make certain that "all the problems, including the Kaesong Industrial Complex problem and the escalating threats by North Korea, should be solved through dialogue" rather than the government's formal suggestion for dialogue.

Ryoo strongly urged Pyongyang to stop heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, expressing his regrets over the DPRK's repeated provocative threats.