남측 기자단 제외했다가 마지막 순간에 접수... 북한 속내는?<br /><br /> Since last week, North Korea did not repond to the South's request to send reporters to cover the event that symbolize the regime's commitment to denculearize <br />At one point it seemed to be excluding Seoul... but made a last minute shift in stance.<br />Oh Jung-hee delves deeper to find out what could be the reason behind this. <br />An abrupt notice from Seoul's unification ministry late Tuesday night.<br /> It said South Korea would try once again on Wednesday... to deliver to North Korea the names of the South Korean journalists covering the dismantling of the nuclear test site. <br /> It went further to suggest... that if Pyongyang accepts the list, then the reporters would be able to fly to Wonsan directly. <br />The message raised speculation... that the two Koreas might have reached an agreement... to have the South Korean reporters cover the event.<br /><br />And another significant remark came earlier on Tuesday... from a North Korean reporter from the ruling party newspaper.<br />At the Chinese airport, he told South Korean media:<br /><br /> "There are always special cases and we sometimes do things in an unexpected way. I think there could be good news if you keep hope and wait until tomorrow."<br /><br />Eventually on Wednesday morning, right after the inter-Korean daily contact channel opened,... North Korea accepted the list of South Korean reporters -- a last-minute change.<br /> Since unilaterally calling off last week's high-level talks,... Pyongyang has raised several issues against the South... including the South Korea-U.S. joint aerial drills.<br />Some think that Pyongyang wanted to pressure Seoul to mediate and alleviate the tough stance from the U.S.<br />And this may be the same reason why the North decided to include South Korea in the coverage of the dismantling of the test site.<br /><br /> "North Korea could have thought that it got its message across to South Korea. And if it completely excludes Seoul from this event, then South Korea loses its power as a mediator when that's what Pyongyang really needs the most. So the North has left room for that."<br /><br />Some view that Pyongyang didn't aim to completely leave out the South Korean journalists.<br />Local authorities kept other foreign journalists in Wonsan, saying they couldn't leave for Punggye-ri due to bad weather,... when the sky was actually clear.<br /> And according to the reporters in Wonsan,... name cards for the South Korean journalists had been prepared at the press center.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
