North Korea on Saturday called for an end to confrontation with the South, urging dialogue after one of the most violent years on the divided peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War. Tension between the rival Koreas has risen sharply after the North shelled an island in the South near their disputed sea border, killing four including two civilian residents.
And in March, the South blamed Pyongyang for torpedoing one of its navy ships, killing 46 sailors. The North denies the charge. "Confrontation between north and south should be defused as early as possible," the three main official North Korean newspapers including Rodong Sinmun said in a joint editorial carried by state news agency KCNA. "Active efforts should be made to create an atmosphere of dialogue and co-operation between north and south by placing the common interests of the nation above anything else."