Koreas to confer again today on tensions

PYONGYANG, North Korea — The first highlevel talks in nearly a year between South Korea and North Korea were adjourned after stretching into the early hours of Sunday, as the rivals looked to defuse mounting tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a possible military confrontation.

The delegates agreed to resume the meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday South Korean time (1 a.m. CDT), said Seoul’s presidential spokesman Min Kyungwook. Min did not disclose any other details about the talks, which adjourned at 4:15 a.m. Sunday.

Marathon talks are not unusual for the Koreas, who have had long negotiating sessions in recent years over much less momentous issues.

The closed-door meeting in the border village of Panmunjom began at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, shortly after a deadline set by North Korea for the South to dismantle loudspeakers broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda at their border. North Korea had declared that its front-line troops were in full war readiness and prepared to go to battle if Seoul did not back down.

The meeting came as a series of incidents raised fears that the conflict could spiral out of control, starting with a land mine attack, allegedly by the North, that maimed two South Korean soldiers.

An official from South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the South continued with the anti-Pyongyang broadcasts after the start of the meeting and planned to make a decision on whether to halt them depending on the result of the talks.