Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY
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WORLD NEWS A11
Wednesday 3 January 2018
South Korea offers talks with North on Olympic cooperation
By HYUNG-JIN KIM South Korean Unification Minster Cho Myoung-gyon speaks during a press conference at the Olympics. The International
Associated Press government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. Cho on Tuesday offered high- Olympic Committee wel-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) level talks with rival North Korea meant to find ways to cooperate on the Winter Olympics set to comed the overtures.
— South Korea on Tuesday begin in the South next month. The banner showing the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic slogan “The IOC welcomes the
offered high-level talks with reads: “Passion. Connected.” mutual intention of the
rival North Korea to find governments of the Repub-
ways to cooperate on next (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) lic of Korea and the Demo-
month’s Winter Olympics cratic People’s Republic of
in the South. Seoul’s quick Korean government led by ter, Cho Myoung-gyon, Earlier Tuesday, Moon Korea to start direct talks
proposal following a rare liberal President Moon Jae- proposed in a nationally spoke of what he de- about the participation of
rapprochement overture in, who favors dialogue to televised news conference scribed as Kim’s positive athletes from DPRK in the
from the North a day ear- ease the North’s nuclear that the two Koreas meet response to his earlier dia- Olympic Winter Games Py-
lier offers the possibility of threats and wants to use Jan. 9 at the shared border logue overtures and or- eongChang 2018.”
better ties after a year that the Pyeongchang Olym- village of Panmunjom to dered officials to study North Korea did not imme-
saw a nuclear standoff in- pics as a chance to im- discuss Olympic coopera- how to restore talks with diately react. But if there
crease fear of war on the prove inter-Korean ties. tion and how to improve North Korea and get the are talks, they would be
Korean Peninsula. Moon’s unification minis- overall ties. North to participate in the the first formal dialogue
In a closely watched New between the Koreas since
Year’s address, North Kore- December 2015. Relations
an leader Kim Jong Un said between the Koreas have
Monday that he was will- plunged as North Korea
ing to send a delegation has expanded its weapons
to the Olympics, though programs amid a hard-line
he also repeated fiery nu- stance by Moon’s conser-
clear threats against the vative predecessors.
United States. Analysts say Last year, North Korea con-
Kim may be trying to drive ducted its sixth and most
a wedge between Seoul powerful nuclear test and
and its ally Washington in a test-launched three inter-
bid to reduce internation- continental ballistic missiles
al isolation and sanctions as part of its push to possess
against North Korea. a nuclear missile capable
Kim’s overture was wel- of reaching anywhere in
come news for a South the United States. q
Japan’s emperor greets cheering crowd at palace for new year
By YURI KAGEYAMA has often skipped public Japan’s Emperor Akihito waves to well-wishers from the bullet- had been expected to at-
Associated Press events, and it’s unclear proofed balcony during New Year’s public appearance with his tract even more people
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Em- how she will manage her family members at Imperial Palace in Tokyo Tuesday, Jan. 2, than usual because of his
peror Akihito, who will abdi- new role as empress. 2018. retirement. The other such
cate the Chrysanthemum The number of well-wishers appearance he makes
Throne and hand it to his totaled 126,720, up from (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) each year is for his birthday
son next year, was show- 97,000 last year and a re- in December.
ered with cheers from tens cord for Akihito’s reign, 2019, after he expressed his ance is a rare opportu- The emperor’s role has
of thousands of New Year’s known as the era of Heisei, wish to retire because of his nity for the public to greet been symbolic since Ja-
well-wishers Tuesday at the according to the Imperial age and health concerns. the emperor on palace pan’s defeat in World War
Imperial Palace. Household Agency. A new The New Year’s appear- grounds, and this year’s II, and he and the impe-
“Happy New Year,” the emperor next year means rial family have no political
84-year-old emperor said Japan will enter another powers.
from a balcony. “I wish that era, whose name will be se- Naruhito and Masako have
this year will prove a gentle lected with great fanfare. one child, Princess Aiko,
and spiritually fulfilling one Emperors have rarely ab- but only males can inherit
for as many people as pos- dicated in Japan, the last the throne. Masako has suf-
sible.” time being 200 years ago. fered stress-related prob-
Crown Prince Naruhito and Akihito’s father, wartime lems, and it is widely be-
his wife, Masako, appeared Emperor Hirohito, died in lieved criticism about not
at the emperor’s side. Ma- 1989 of an illness. giving birth to an heir may
sako, a former diplomat, Akihito’s abdication was have been a cause of her
has suffered from stress and set last month for April 30, stress.q
