Prospects fair for inter-Korean talks

The second inter-Korean ministerial talks will provide a framework for the implementation of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration and the comprehensive discussion of inter-Korean problems.

Specifically, the meeting will provide an opportunity for Seoul to find out the North`s true intentions about its flooding proposals, as well as other plans, including the family reunion initiatives. The reunion initiatives were revealed by North Korean Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il during his meeting with the delegation of South Korean media on August 12.

At the first South-North ministerial talks, the South proposed installation of a military hotline, re-connection of the Gyeongui (Seoul-Shinuiju) Railway, the joint Yimjin River flood prevention projects, and the composition of a single athletic team. The North offered hometown visits to South Korea by Korean residents in Japan, affiliated with Chochongnyon (the general association of pro-North Korean residents in Japan).

The two sides reached agreement on several joint proposals, including the setup of inter-Korean liaison offices and the holding of national festivals to mark National Liberation Day, August 15.

For the second ministerial meeting, delegates are likely to take up the questions left over from the first ministerial talks, plus proposals for establishing three subcommittees to translate the agreements into action. The core issue to be raised at the coming ministerial talks will be military affairs, and the restoration of the Gyeongui Railway, for which a ground-breaking ceremonies are scheduled for the middle of next month. The two Koreas also need to address such urgent issues as the removal of mines along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and crossing of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Other urgent issues include the installation of a military hotline, and the convening of inter-Korean defense ministers with a view to easing military tension on the Korean peninsula, building mutual confidence. The family-reunion issue is another important task to be resolved at the Pyongyang ministerial talks. Seoul will have to confirm North Korean leader Kim`s remarks that family-reunion events would be held twice in September and October and that separate families would be allowed to visit their hometowns in the South or the North next year. If North Korean intentions about these questions are verified at the ministerial meeting, the government is expected to reach an agreement on practical implementation procedures with the North at the forthcoming inter-Korean Red Cross talks slated for September 5.

The issues of South Korean prisoners of war in the North and kidnapped South Koreans could also be discussed at the ministerial talks. We have learned that the Seoul government is engaged in behind-scenes dialogue on these issues. The coming talks may produce substantial results. If these talks are successful, the two Koreas will have a concrete framework for the improvement of inter-Korean relations.