Kim Jong-un Talks of Reconciliation in New Year’s Speech
By CHOE SANG-HUN

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, said in his annual New Year’s speech on Friday that he was willing to discuss reconciliation with South Korea, while warning that the North’s military would keep working to develop “more diverse” capabilities.

Mr. Kim’s televised address, which is scrutinized each year for clues to his secretive government’s intentions, held no major surprises. As in past New Year’s speeches, the young leader called for raising the living standards of his impoverished people, and he directed both threats and overtures of peace toward his country’s adversaries.

“We will actively pursue dialogue and improvement in ties between North and South Korea,” Mr. Kim said in his 29-minute speech, which he read before a red backdrop that bore the symbol of his ruling Workers’ Party. “We will sit down and discuss the issues of the nation, including reunification, with anyone who truly wants the reconciliation, solidarity, peace and reunification of the nation.”

In South Korea, such overtures from Mr. Kim, while not unwelcome, are viewed with considerable skepticism. In his address last year, he indicated that he was open to meeting with President Park Geun-hye of South Korea. But in 2015, the persistent tensions between the countries escalated to the brink of armed conflict, after two South Korean border guards were maimed by land mines. That crisis was alleviated in August; since then, the two sides, which have technically been at war since the 1950s, have held inconclusive talks.

Mr. Kim did not specifically mention the North’s nuclear weapons or long-range missile programs on Friday, though he said the country would continue to develop “more diverse means of military strike of our own style.” He also condemned the joint military exercises held each year by South Korea and the United States.

新年演說 金正恩：願與南韓談統一

北韓領導人金正恩一日透過朝鮮中央電視台發表新年演說，表示願與南韓開誠布公地討論統一事宜，提高民眾生活水準是他的首要任務，但他避免明確談到核武計畫。

金正恩說：「凡是希望和平與統一的人，我們都願意以開放的心胸坦誠對話。南朝鮮當局應重視去年八月北南協議的精神，避免破壞和解的氣氛。」

去年八月初，兩韓非軍事區南韓一側發生地雷爆炸事故，南韓士兵受傷，南韓指控地雷是北韓埋設的，北韓否認。八月廿二日，兩韓在邊界板門店南韓一側就朝鮮半島局勢等問題磋商，並於廿五日達成六項協議。

金正恩在卅分鐘演說中，雖然提到發展「各種」軍事攻擊選項的重要性，但重點放在經濟發展上。他說：「在數以百萬計的國家任務中，朝鮮勞動黨的首要任務是改善人民的生活水平。我們必須在經濟發展方面創造轉機。」金正恩在前三次新年演說中也表示要發展經濟，這次的演說如同前幾次一樣，並未詳細說明達成經濟目標的具體政策。

金正恩並未提及核武計畫。南韓北韓大學院大學教授梁茂進評論說：「整場演說相當低調，強調經濟而非政治或軍事議題，或許金正恩不想在五月勞動黨第七次代表大會前激怒中國和區域其他國家。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/02/world/asia/kim-jong-un-new-year-speech-north-korea.html

紐約時報中文版翻譯：
http://cn.nytimes.com/asia-pacific/20160104/c04northkorea/zh-hant/

2016-01-02．聯合報．A13．國際．編譯李京倫