| September 1 | - The ROK
President, at a Cabinet meeting, emphasizes that if the two
Koreas faithfully fulfill the August 25 Agreement, we can
cut off the vicious cycle of tensions and move toward the
path of cooperation for peace and unification.
|
| September 2 |
- A spokesperson of the Policy Department of the National
Defense Commission, in a statement, argues that, regarding
the North’s expression of “regret”
agreed to in the high-level talks, the South is interpreting
the meaning of the word “regret” to its own advantage, and
the South should refrain from words and deeds hampering the
atmosphere of improving inter-Korean relations.
|
| September 2 |
- The heads of state of the ROK and China hold a summit
meeting and exchange opinions about matters of mutual
interest, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula
and unification issues. - Both sides △ Express the position
that they are opposed to any actions that escalate tensions
on the Korean Peninsula; △ Agree to firmly maintain the goal
of denuclearization and resume the meaningful Six-Party
Talks; and △ the ROK stresses that unification on the Korean
Peninsula will contribute to peace and prosperity in the
region, while China supports a peaceful unification on the
Korean Peninsula by the Korean nation.
|
| September 3 | - In a
Q&A session with a reporter from the Korean Central News
Agency, a spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful
Reunification of the Fatherland argues that, regarding her
remarks about “the North’s landmine provocation” at the
summit meeting with the leader of China, the ROK President
should “be discreet in words and deeds that may undermine
the atmosphere of improving relations.”
|
| September 4 | - The
ROK government expresses regret that the North condemned the
remarks made by the President during her visit to China and
threatened the fulfillment of the deal agreed to in the
high-level talks, stressing that the North should stop these
behaviors and create a turning point in the development of
inter-Korean relations by faithfully implementing the
Agreement (in a briefing by the spokesperson for the
Ministry of Unification).
|
| September 7 | - The North’s
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a statement, states that
“The excuse for the U.S. forces to remain stationed in South
Korea doesn’t work in the terms of the August 25 Agreement,”
calls for the “withdrawal of the USFK,” and argues that “If
the U.S. engages in military actions against North Korea,
thus leading to incidents resulting from unknown causes and
armed clashes accordingly, the North will put the blame on
the U.S.”
|
| September 7 |
- The North Korean Measure Council
for Human Rights in South Korea releases an inquiry report
which discloses the “crimes against humanity and human
rights” by the USFK over the last 70 years, and calls for
the “withdrawal of the USFK and an anti-American and
self-reliance fight.”
|
| September 7 | - South and
North Korea have a Red Cross working-level contact (from
September 7 to 8 in the Peace House in Panmumjeom) and agree
to consult on various matters of mutual interest, including
the reunion of separated families scheduled from October 20
to 26 and the issues being raised in the process of
arranging the reunions of separated families, through a Red
Cross meeting as soon as possible.
|
| September 9 | - The ROK
President stresses in her keynote speech at the Seoul
Defense Dialogue that the North should find a normal
solution through dialogue and exchanges while urging the
North to break from the simultaneous pursuit of economic
growth and nuclear development and move toward the path of
substantial development.
|
| September 14 | - In a
Q&A session with a reporter from the Korean Central News
Agency, the Director of the National Aerospace Development
Administration of the DPRK suggests that it will test-fire a
long-range missile, saying that “The world will clearly see
a series of satellites of Songun Korea soaring into the sky
at the times and locations determined by the WPK Central
Committee."
|
| September
15 | - South and North Korea
exchange written requests for confirmation of the living
status of members of separated families.
|
| September 15 | - In a
Q&A session with a reporter from the Korean Central News
Agency, the Director of the Atomic Energy Institute argues
that "If the US and other hostile forces persistently
pursue their reckless hostile policy towards the DPRK, we
are fully prepared to respond with nuclear weapons at any
time," saying that "All the nuclear facilities in
Yongbyon were rearranged and they started normal
operation."
|
| September
16 | - A spokesperson for the
Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland,
in a statement, slams the National Assembly’s plan to pass
the North Korean Human Rights Act as an “unacceptable
provocation that turns inter-Korean relations back to the
phase of confrontation and war,” and declares a “firm
response.”
|
| September 16 |
- South Korea inspects the
facilities in Mt. Kumgang for the reunions of separated
families (from September 16 to 17).
|
| September 17 | - In a
Q&A session with a reporter from the Korean Central News
Agency, a spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful
Reunification of the Fatherland denounces that the U.S. is
hampering the atmosphere of improving inter-Korean
relations, and stresses “by our nation itself.”
|
| September 18 |
- Five officials from the Korea Football Association,
including KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, visit Pyongyang to
discuss the unification football match from September 18 to
21.
|
| September 19 | - A spokesperson for the General
Federation of Trade Unions of North Korea, in a statement,
condemns the ROK National Assembly’s agreement on some of
the North Korean Human Rights Act as a “heinous
confrontational act” and states that “The South should
address its own human rights issues first.”
|
| September 23 | - A
spokesperson for the Central Committee of the North Korean
Red Cross Society, in a statement, blasts the South’s move
to enact the North Korean Human Rights Act as a “gross
provocation to turn back the flow of reconciliation and
tension-easing to confrontation” and an “all-out challenge
to the Korean nation’s pursuit of unification.”
|
| September 23 |
- The North’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a
statement, denounces the U.N. Human Rights Council’s panel
discussion on the human rights situation in North Korea
(September 21) as a “political scheme to overthrow the North
Korean system.”
|
| September
23 | - North Korea refuses the
National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification
Committee’s visit to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, citing
the North Korean Human Rights Act issue.
|
| September 24 | - The
Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification
of the Fatherland, in a press release, denounces the South
Korean Military’s “pushing forward the organization of a
special unit for attacking the North’s nuclear facilities”
as a “military provocation,” and threatens “merciless
punishment.”
|
| September 24 |
- A spokesperson for the Central
Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, in a
statement, stresses that the North “will engage in a
stronger fight than before,” saying that the ROK National
Assembly’s move to enact the North Korean Human Rights Act
is an “unacceptable political provocation.”
|
| September 24 | - The
ROK President warns in an interview with Bloomberg, “Should
the North go ahead with provocative actions that violate the
UN Security Council resolutions, there will certainly be a
price to be paid.”
|
| September
25 | - North Korea shows a South
Korean citizen (Joo Won-moon) detained in the North in a
press conference for domestic and foreign journalists in
Pyongyang.
|
| September 25 |
- The leaders of the U.S. and China
reaffirm in their summit meeting that they will not accept
the North’s possession of nuclear weapons (Obama’s “not
accepting the North’s possession of nuclear weapons” and Xi
Jinping’s “opposition to any actions that violate the U.N.
Security Council resolutions”).
|
| September 28 | - The ROK
President, in her keynote speech at the 70th U.N. General
Assembly, presents the vision for a unified Korean
Peninsula, stresses the resolution of the North Korean
nuclear issue, and urges the North to join the path of
reform and opening rather than additional provocations,
while calling on the North to create a virtuous cycle of
trust and cooperation between the South and the North by
fulfilling the August 25 Agreement.
|
| September 29 | - A
spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful
Reunification of the Fatherland, in a statement, denounces
the ROK President’s keynote speech at the U.N. General
Assembly as a “reckless confrontational racket and a series
of curses and silly remarks,” and threatens the halting of
family reunions, saying that “The reunion of separated
families is precarious, like being put on thin ice.”
|
| September 29 | - The Korea Conference of Religions for
Peace (KCRP) consults a plan to hold an inter-Korean meeting
of religions for peace in North Korea (Gaeseong, the Chosun
Conference of Religions).
|
| September 29 | - Foreign
Ministers from the ROK, the U.S., and Japan have a meeting
and discuss a plan to respond to North Korea’s provocations
and threats.
|
| September
30 | - The ROK government
expresses regret that North Korea unilaterally distorted and
slammed the President’s speech at the U.N. and threatened
the reunion of separated families, and urges the North to
faithfully fulfill the August 25 Agreement (in a briefing by
the spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification).
|
| September 30 | - The ROK Confederation of Trade Unions
and the ROK Federation of Trade Unions consult regarding the
football match between workers from the South and the North
with the General Federation of Trade Unions of North Korea
in Gaeseong.
|
