North Korea has backed away from earlier vows never to deal with the South's leader but demanded several preconditions for resuming talks, including the cancellation of US-South Korean military drills, the Telegraph writes.
South Korea is unlikely to accept most of the demands made in a statement by the policy department of the North's national defence commission. But the timing of the statement on Thursday could signal a willingness to ease tensions, analysts said.
"If clear answers are given, dialogue will resume immediately, and the inter-Korean relations that have been moving toward complete destruction will improve," Ri Son Kwon, a colonel working for the commission's policy department, said in an interview. "The resumption of dialogue and the improvement of relations hinge completely on the willingness of the South's government."
The North Korean statement comes the day after a senior US diplomat suggested that Washington is open to diplomacy if Pyongyang improves ties with Seoul. It is also represents a change in tone for North Korea after weeks of refusing to talk with the South's president, Lee Myung-bak.
North Korea's defence commission issued a list of nine conditions, including demands that South Korea apologise for failing to show proper respect to Kim Jong-il during the mourning period that followed the leader's death last December. Among the other demands were that Seoul stop criticising Pyongyang over two deadly 2010 attacks blamed on North Korea, and follow through on previous agreements that call for South Korean investments in the North.
The North also demanded an end to the regularly held US-South Korean military drills, which Pyongyang calls rehearsals for war.
A round of military exercises are due to start later this month.
South Korea has called for dialogue as the new North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, tries to consolidate power and extend his family dynasty into a third generation following his father's death.
But South Korea's unification ministry released a statement on Thursday saying it regrets the North's "unreasonable claims as part of its propaganda at an important juncture for peace" and "does not feel the need to respond to these questions put forth by North Korea one by one".
