Talks Collapse Between North, South Korea

A South Korean official said Friday he believed there was no hope for North Korea to participate in the Seoul Olympics after the first official talks in three years collapsed at the border site of Panmunjom.

The fourth round of the talks between North and South Korean lawmakers, which began Aug. 19, deadlocked when proposals about how the North should participate could not be reconciled.

Park Yoon-kyu, South Korea’s chief delegate, said he urged his Northern counterpart, Chom Kum-chol, to “call us with any suggestion they have this afternoon, tomorrow, Monday” to reverse the deadlock.

The deadline for Olympic application is Sept. 2.