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North’s Participation in Busan Asian Games

Posted August. 04, 2002 23:16,   

한국어

North and South Korea agreed on August 11th, that they would hold a high-level talk in Seoul for three days from 12th to 14th. This will be the first one since last November.

Two Koreas also agreed to North’s participation in the 14th Asian Games in Pusan, which will start in September, and to the resumption of the 5th Family Reunion at Kumgang Mountain. Thus, North Korean sports teams will participate for the first time in history in an international sports game held in South.

Two sides finished the working-level talk, a precursor to the upcoming 7th high-level talk, on August 4th at the Kumgang Mountain Inn and announced a joint press release containing their agreement on 5 major issues.

But, as to the Yellow Sea Engagement, South Korea stated, in its August 3rd opening address, that we expressed the 25th telephone message of regret and confirmed the North’s preventive efforts. None of them, however, were included in the joint statement.

Two Koreas also agreed to give priority to discussion at the high-level talk of such agenda as consented during president’s envoy Lim Dong-won’s 5-day visit. On the agenda will be the 2nd meeting of the KINU to deal with construction of railways and roads connecting North and South, construction project for Kaesung Industrial complex and prevention of Imjin River’s flooding; the 2nd working-level talk for boosting tourism to Kumknag Mountain; North economic delegation; and resumption of North’s and South’s military talk.

During the high-level talk, they will hold the 4th meeting of Red Cross members of North and South to discuss ways to realize the 5th Family Reunion at Mt. Kumgang. The details of the meeting will be discussed during the upcoming talk in Seoul. But, considering the symbolic meaning of the Reunion and time for preparation, the Reunion will probably be held around the Korean Thanksgiving Day.

The North promised to send their sports teams to Busan Asian Games as a token of cooperation in dealing with major issues, and the South in return agreed to accommodate them. They also agreed to cooperate in earnest for success of nonofficial events such as the August 15th Seoul National Unification March and the September 8th North-South soccer match that was discussed during Park Keun-hye’s visit to North (last May).

Lee Bong-jo, South delegate to the working-level talk, said, “This joint release means a lot in that it will rejuvenate the stagnant North-South relations and pave the way for development between them in the future. We will pitch in our best to lead our agreement to success.”

South delegation returned to Seoul on August 4 via Sokcho Port after leaving the Jangjeon Port in North in the afternoon in Seolbong.



Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com