PYONGYANG, North Korea, March 5 (UPI) -- A government-run North Korean newspaper has called on Seoul to resume peace negotiations without demanding preconditions.
The Rodong Sinmum newspaper claimed policymakers in Seoul have rejected talks in the past and threatened to escalate tensions unless the talks resume, Yonhap news agency said Saturday.
The Sinmum is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It is published in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
The Sinmum said the North wants to create an atmosphere of peace that could ultimately lead to unification of the two Koreas.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months. The South blames North Korea for the sinking of one of its warships last year.
The situation worsened further when the North shelled Yeonpyeong Island earlier this year, killing four people, including two civilians.
