[USFK Forums] Koreas agree on joint efforts to resolve nuclear tension [Yonhap]

[C. Y. Lee]

[Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Saturday, December 17, 2005]

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2005/12/16 17:42

Koreas agree on joint efforts to resolve nuclear tension

By Byun Duk-kun

JEJU, South Korea, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- A round of high-profile inter-Korean dialogue came to an end Friday after North and South Korea reaffirmed their commitment to international negotiations on ending the ongoing dispute over the North's nuclear weapons program.

The sides also agreed to hold a fresh round of ministerial talks in Pyongyang early next year, while calling for efforts to further expand economic cooperation between the two.

"South and North Korea share an understanding that the joint statement from the fourth round of the six-party talks must be implemented at the earliest date possible," North and South Korean delegates said in a statement.

The countries also "agreed to actively cooperate to bring a peaceful end to the nuclear issue for the security and co-prosperity of the nation," the statement said.

The nine-point joint statement was adopted after the closing session of the four-day talks.

The sides were engaged in a tug-of-war from Thursday evening over a demand by Pyongyang that Seoul remove a ban prohibiting South Korean visitors to the North from visiting certain places considered politically sensitive here.

The North Korean delegates, headed by state councilor Kwon Ho-ung, had to postpone their 10 a.m. flight back to Pyongyang as the sides remained divided over the issue.

Seoul refused to include the North's demand in the joint statement, which instead said the countries acknowledged the need to recognize each other's government system and ruling ideology.

The South Korean government earlier said it was too soon to consider such a measure, claiming it would place a considerably larger burden on it than on North Korea.

Nearly 90,000 South Koreans are expected to have visited the North this year alone, while only 1,030 North Koreans have visited the South so far, according to South Korean officials.

The countries also reaffirmed their efforts to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula, but again failed to set a date for new rounds of meetings between their military officials, which were agreed upon at the 15th round of the inter-Korean ministerial talks in Seoul in June.

They also appeared to slightly differ in their interpretation of the agreement on future military talks.

The joint statement read by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, South Korea's chief delegate to the inter-Korean talks, said the countries agreed to "make active and practical efforts to ease military tension and assure peace on the Korean Peninsula."

The chief North Korean delegate, however, said the countries agreed to "make suggestions" to their military authorities.

An official from the South Korean Unification Ministry said the apparent difference only stems from the two countries being allowed to phrase the agreements in terms more comfortable, or compatible, with their government systems.

"They are essentially saying the same thing. The only thing is that the North's government system is not set in a way that a state official can freely make agreements on behalf of the country's military," Kim Chun-sig, the South Korean spokesperson for the talks, said in a news briefing.

Despite the last-minute hurdles in negotiations, the South Korean delegates were able to win concessions from their North Korean counterparts on issues they earlier said were of urgent need to the country.

The Koreas agreed to hold a new round of exchanges between separated families from the countries at the North's mountain resort of Geumgang in March, following a fourth round of family reunions via special video linkups in February, the statement said.

In return, South Korea agreed to help North Korea in its efforts to have historical sites in the ancient Korean capital of Kaesong designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

According to the joint statement, the countries are also to work with each other to better promote the Korean martial art of taekwondo internationally.

The sides agreed to hold the next round of ministerial-level talks between their ministers in Pyongyang on March 28-31, the joint statement said.

The 29-member North Korean delegation was to return to Pyongyang via a direct flight later in the day.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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