[USFK Forums] Two Koreas Fail to Sign Accord at Military Talks [Korea Times]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Saturday, March 4, 2006

2 Koreas Fail to Sign Accord at Military Talks

Friday, March 3, 2006
Joint Press Corps & Seo Dong-shin, Staff Reporter

PANMUNJOM ㅡ Military officers of South and North Korea on Friday failed to draw up an agreement on ways to prevent naval clashes in disputed waters of the West Sea despite the approaching crab-catching season which has caused such heavy casualties on both sides in the past.

At the general-level talks held at the neutral border village of Panmunjom, the South wanted to discuss easing tensions along the Western sea border by establishing a joint fishing area, but the North insisted on its long-standing argument that the sea border itself be remapped first, Maj. Gen. Han Min-gu, the South’s chief delegate, told reporters in a briefing after the two-day talks.

``It’s customary that the two sides announce an agreement after the talks, but we had a fundamental difference to draw up an accord,’’ Han said. ``We just shared the perception regarding the necessity of establishing a joint fishing area and the possibility of accidental clashes on the West Sea. We’ll continue efforts to resolve the issue.’’

During April-June crab-catching season, fishing boats from China as well as the two Koreas often jostle for better positions along the maritime border between the two Koreas on the West Sea, which can lead to their accidental crossing of the poorly drawn border. Naval ships of South and North Korea, guarding fishing boats of each own nationality, have fought deadly gun battles around the border in 1999 and 2002, both times in June.

The North has argued the South’s Northern Limit Line (NLL) should be moved farther south, on the grounds that it was unilaterally delineated by the U.S.-led U.N. Command after the Korean War (1950-1953).

Wrapping up the highest-level military talks that resumed 21 months after the last round, the Northern delegates expressed serious discontent, trying to hold unilateral press meetings with the South’s reporters, which the Southern delegates blocked.

The two sides talks also failed to fix a date for the next round of the talks, which will be the fourth of its kind, according to Han. But the liaison officers of the two sides will resume contacts according to the need, he said.

saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr

03-03-2006 21:43

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