2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

Asia Pacific> Asia News> Content
Tuesday, January 09, 2018, 21:53
ROK, DPRK agree to hold military talks
By Xinhua
Tuesday, January 09, 2018, 21:53 By Xinhua

The Republic of Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, right, shakes hands with the head of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's delegation Ri Son-gwon before their meeting at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, ROK, Jan 9, 2018. (KOREA POOL / YONHAP VIA AP)

SEOUL/PYONGYANG – The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Tuesday agreed to hold separate military talks after a high-level dialogue in the truce village of Panmunjom located in the demilitarized zone between the two countries.     

A joint press release issued after the dialogue said the DPRK had also agreed to send a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics to be hosted by Seoul next month.   

During the first inter-Korean talks in around two years, the ROK side asked the DPRK to dispatch its athletes and cheering squads to the 2018 Winter Olympics, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

The DPRK reopened a military hotline with the ROK across the western border Tuesday while the inter-Korean talks were underway

The DPRK side responded more positively, saying it will dispatch its high-ranking delegation, the delegation of the National Olympic Committee, athletes, cheering squads, a team of performing artists, a demonstration team for traditional martial art Taekwondo, visitors as well as press corps.

READ MORE: ROK receives list of DPRK delegates for high-level talks

The two sides exchanged views on each other's needs during the plenary session of the talks, which lasted for about an hour from 10:00 am local time (0100 GMT).

During the talks, the DPRK also reopened a military hotline with the ROK across the western border.

A ROK government official who declined to be identified told reporters that the DPRK informed the ROK side during the morning session of the talks about the restoration of the cross-border military hotline, allowing for direct dialogue between the two Koreas.

The ROK's military checked the communications channel in the western region and confirmed restoration of the hotline around 2 pm local time (0500 GMT).

The session was followed by a 50-minute meeting between chief negotiators from the two sides.

During the session, the ROK proposed holding a Red Cross dialogue for the reunion of separate families during the upcoming Lunar New Year in February as well as inter-Korean talks between the military authorities to prevent possible clashes near the military demarcation line (MDL) by accident.

People watch a TV screen showing the Republic of Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (left) meets with the head of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's delegation Ri Son-gwon before talks, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, ROK, Jan 9, 2018. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)

Talks with Pyongyang about humanitarian and military issues were already suggested by Seoul in July last year.

The reunion of the families divided as a result of the 1950-1953 Korean War across the two Koreas is an emotionally-charging issue.

People from the ROK and the DPRK have been banned from visiting and contacting each other since the Korean War ended in armistice instead of a peace treaty. The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war.

The ROK side also offered to resume talks with the DPRK to stop any hostile act on the Korean Peninsula and build peace by rapidly denuclearizing the peninsula.

In response, the DPRK said issues should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations to promote reconciliation and unity and secure peace on the peninsula.

The inter-Korean dialogue was first held since the new ROK government under President Moon Jae-in was inaugurated in May last year. The last was held in December 2015 between vice-ministerial-level officials from the two sides.

The five-member ROK delegation was led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, while the DPRK delegation, which also has as many members, was headed by Ri Son-gwon, chief of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.

In his introductory remarks, Ri expressed his hope to give the first New Year's gift to people on the Korean Peninsula, which would be a "precious outcome" of the talks, by dealing well with the meeting in a sincere manner.

In response, Cho said the PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games was anticipated to become a peace festival as the delegation, which he described as "precious visitors," would come from the DPRK.

ALSO READ: DPRK accepts Jan 9 talks offer from ROK

Signs of a thaw in inter-Korean relations emerged as top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un said in his New Year's address that his country was willing to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics and talk with the ROK about it.

The following day, the ROK proposed to the DPRK holding a high-level intergovernmental talks. Pyongyang accepted the dialogue overture without changing the timing or venue suggested by the ROK.

Share this story