A day of smiles and jokes at the first inter-Korean talks in two years quickly evaporated Tuesday night when the North's chief negotiator threatened to walk out after the South Korean side brought up Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
"We had started in a good spirit but this came to an icky mood," North Korea's lead delegate Ri Son Gwon complained in closing remarks.
His rebuke highlights the challenges that lie ahead for Seoul after the 11 hours of talks yielded agreements to hold military talks and facilitate North Korea's participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.