Consensus reached to remove danger of war

South and North Korea agreed Tuesday to open the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the projected Gyeongui Railway and an adjacent highway and to place them under their respective supervision. At the ongoing defense talks on Tuesday, the two sides decided to carry out the accords in line with the present Military Armistice Agreement.

Reaching a consensus that tension reduction and establishing a lasting peace is essential in order to eliminate the danger of war, the two sides agreed to exert joint efforts to this end.

The accord came in a five-point agreement reached between Defense Minister Cho Seong-Tae and North Korean minister Kim Il-Chol of the People's Armed Forces at their talks held at Hotel Lotte on Jeju Island. The agreement was announced in a joint press statement. According to the press release, the two sides pledged to allow the manpower, vehicles and materials needed for the cross-border railway and highway projects to enter the DMZ and guarantee their safety. They also agreed to hold working-level military commission talks early next month to provide details on the matter.

At the same time, the two sides agreed on the need to strive to carry out the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration and on the necessity of mutual military collaboration to guarantee civilian comings and goings, personnel exchanges and cooperation. They also agreed to hold the second round of defense talks in the North in the middle of November.

Regarding Seoul's proposals for the installation of a military hotline, prior notification of massive troop movements and military drills, and mutual inspection of military exercises, the Pyongyang side responded that these matters should be handled after the conclusion of a peace treaty replacing the present armistice agreement.

The North Korean delegation paid a courtesy call on President Kim Dae-Jung in the afternoon and returned to the North via the truce village of Panmunjeom.

Moon Chul fullmoon@donga.com