Top diplomats of South and North Korea have reportedly exchanged opinions on Seoul’s recent peace proposals during a brief encounter on the sidelines of a regional forum in the Philippines.
 
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Monday that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha encountered her North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho in a waiting room ahead of a reception dinner at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Sunday.
 
Kang expressed hope that Pyongyang will accept as soon as possible Seoul’s proposals offered in line with President Moon Jae-in’s Berlin Initiative.
 
In response, Ri reportedly said that South Korea’s offers for talks lack sincerity, pointing out that Seoul is pushing for pressure against the North in cooperation with the U.S.
 
Kang then repeated calls on the North to respond to the dialogue offers.