ID :
159352
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 14:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/159352
The shortlink copeid
Inter-Korean military talks to resume Wednesday
(ATTN: UPDATES with end of talks, quotes in first five paras; AMENDS headline)
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The preliminary military talks between South and North Korea to pave the way for a higher-level discussions ended Tuesday with little progress, but the two sides agreed to resume the meeting on Wednesday, an official here said.
Military officers from both sides held the talks at the truce village of Panmunjom for more than nine hours as they struggled to work out an agenda for a higher-level meeting. Tuesday's contact marked the first inter-Korean dialogue since the North's deadly bombardment of a South Korean border island last November.
"Little progress was made at today's working-level military talks, but the two sides agreed to resume the talks as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday," said Kim Min-seok, a spokesman for the South's Defense Ministry.
The preliminary talks are aimed at setting the date, place and agenda for higher-level talks, possibly at the level of defense ministers.
"Both sides are trying to narrow differences on an agenda and procedural matters for higher-level military talks such as a level of representatives and a date," Kim told reporters before the talks ended.
North Korea wants to discuss a "comprehensive" agenda to ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula at a higher-level meeting, while South Korea demands the North takes responsibility for its two military provocations last year, Kim said.
The South's defense ministry said it won't agree to ministerial-level talks unless North Korea apologizes and takes "responsible measures" for the Nov. 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the torpedo attack of a South Korean warship last March.
The preliminary talks were led by Col. Moon Sang-gyun of the South and Col. Ri Son-kwon of the North, who have served as representatives for working-level military talks from each side for years.
Tensions persist on the Korean Peninsula after the North's artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island killed two marines and two civilians. The bombardment came after a multinational investigation concluded that North Korea torpedoed a South Korean warship, killing 46 sailors.
North Korea has so far denied any involvement in the torpedo attack of the Cheonan warship. The communist regime has also claimed that its artillery attack on Yeonpyeong was legitimate because the South provoked first by holding a live-fire drill near the island with some shells falling on the North's side.
After sharply raising tensions with the two attacks last year, North Korea started this year with what South Korean officials called a "peace offensive" by repeatedly calling for talks with the South.
Last month, South Korea accepted the North's proposal for the preliminary military talks. The development followed a U.S.-China summit, during which the leaders of Washington and Beijing agreed that inter-Korean dialogue is necessary before resuming six-party talks.
The six-party talks, which involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, have been suspended since late 2008 when North Korea walked away in protest of U.N. and international sanctions imposed on it over nuclear and missile tests.
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The preliminary military talks between South and North Korea to pave the way for a higher-level discussions ended Tuesday with little progress, but the two sides agreed to resume the meeting on Wednesday, an official here said.
Military officers from both sides held the talks at the truce village of Panmunjom for more than nine hours as they struggled to work out an agenda for a higher-level meeting. Tuesday's contact marked the first inter-Korean dialogue since the North's deadly bombardment of a South Korean border island last November.
"Little progress was made at today's working-level military talks, but the two sides agreed to resume the talks as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday," said Kim Min-seok, a spokesman for the South's Defense Ministry.
The preliminary talks are aimed at setting the date, place and agenda for higher-level talks, possibly at the level of defense ministers.
"Both sides are trying to narrow differences on an agenda and procedural matters for higher-level military talks such as a level of representatives and a date," Kim told reporters before the talks ended.
North Korea wants to discuss a "comprehensive" agenda to ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula at a higher-level meeting, while South Korea demands the North takes responsibility for its two military provocations last year, Kim said.
The South's defense ministry said it won't agree to ministerial-level talks unless North Korea apologizes and takes "responsible measures" for the Nov. 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the torpedo attack of a South Korean warship last March.
The preliminary talks were led by Col. Moon Sang-gyun of the South and Col. Ri Son-kwon of the North, who have served as representatives for working-level military talks from each side for years.
Tensions persist on the Korean Peninsula after the North's artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island killed two marines and two civilians. The bombardment came after a multinational investigation concluded that North Korea torpedoed a South Korean warship, killing 46 sailors.
North Korea has so far denied any involvement in the torpedo attack of the Cheonan warship. The communist regime has also claimed that its artillery attack on Yeonpyeong was legitimate because the South provoked first by holding a live-fire drill near the island with some shells falling on the North's side.
After sharply raising tensions with the two attacks last year, North Korea started this year with what South Korean officials called a "peace offensive" by repeatedly calling for talks with the South.
Last month, South Korea accepted the North's proposal for the preliminary military talks. The development followed a U.S.-China summit, during which the leaders of Washington and Beijing agreed that inter-Korean dialogue is necessary before resuming six-party talks.
The six-party talks, which involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, have been suspended since late 2008 when North Korea walked away in protest of U.N. and international sanctions imposed on it over nuclear and missile tests.
