Rival Koreas build trust at talks
Generals discuss easing decades-long standoff
SEOUL: Generals from the rival Koreas met at their shared border for talks meant to ease a decades-long military standoff and build trust, Seoul officials have announced.
The meeting comes days after North Korea returned the reported remains of United States war dead, the recent sign of blossoming diplomacy after last year’s threats of war.
The general-level officers were discussing ways to implement April’s inter-Korean summit agreements on non-nuclear military issues, but no huge announcement is expected from the talks at the border village of Panmunjom.
Some experts say South Korea can’t agree on any drastic measures to reduce animosity unless the North takes serious nuclear disarmament steps.
During the April 27 summit, the leaders of the Koreas agreed to disarm a jointly controlled area at Panmunjom, work to prevent accidental clashes along their disputed sea boundary and halt all hostile acts.
Since then, the Koreas dismantled their frontline propaganda loudspeakers, restored a military hotline and held their first generallevel talks since 2007. Yesterday is the second meeting of its kind since the summit.
The generals will likely discuss dropping the number of military guards at Panmunjom, withdrawing heavy weapons from the area and pulling some army guard posts away from the Demilitarized Zone, a buffer zone that separates the two countries.
They may also talk about ways to make sure their fishermen peacefully operate along the Korean sea boundary, the site of several bloody naval skirmishes in recent years.
The Defence Ministry won’t discuss any detailed agenda for the talks but the meeting began with an amicable manner with delegates from both countries saying they’re expecting to produce meaningful outcome.
Chief North Korean delegate Lt-Gen An Ik-san said he feels a “sense of mission” to contribute to peace and co-prosperity between the Koreas.
His South Korean counterpart Major-Gen Kim Do-gyun said he’s confident the talks would produce “achievements that South and North Korea and the international community want,” according to South Korean media pool reports from the venue. —