South Korea’s President Will Hold Talks With the North Without Conditions

South Korean President Park Geun-hye announced during a nationally televised address on Monday that she’s willing to hold a summit with North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un without any pre-conditions.

“My position is that to ease the pain of division and to accomplish peaceful unification, I am willing to meet with anyone,” said Park. “If it is helpful, I am up for a summit meeting with the North. There is no pre-condition.”

Park’s pledge follows similar overtures made by Kim Jong Un during his New Year’s address.

“Depending on the mood and circumstances to be created, we have no reason not to hold the highest-level talks,” said Kim.

Since the war between Seoul and Pyongyang was suspended by an armistice in 1953, South Korea’s and North Korea’s leaders have only met on two occasions — in 2000 and 2007.

[Al-Jazeera]