Joint Statement Reignites Hope for Good Relations on Korean Peninsula

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 15, 2002

Joint Statement Reignites Hope for Good Relations on Korean Peninsula

The seventh inter-Korean ministerial talks ended with a joint statement covering most of the pending issues between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

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The seventh inter-Korean ministerial talks ended with a joint statement covering most of the pending issues between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The ten-point joint statement was released after the two delegations took long time to coordinate their stands on those pending issues between them, especially on whether to fix the date for the inter-military talks.

The statement is deemed as a new sign of reviving the inter-Korean ties, which have been occasionally in trouble to some extent because of many interior and exterior reasons.

The inter-Korean ties not long ago met difficulties when an inter-Korean naval clash suddenly broke on June 29 in the Yellow Sea. But they had the opportunity to go back on the normal track as the DPRK put forward a suggestion on July 25 that the two sides should hold inter-Korean working-level contacts in early August.

The Aug. 2-4 inter-Korean working-level contacts at Mount Geumgang in the DPRK served as a preliminary session for the seventh inter-Korean ministerial talks, and it set the date for the ministerial talks.

The South Korean government valued the statement as "fruitful," because it has worked out various schedules for the implementation of agreements reached before, and has laid foundation for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue that has been stalled since South Korean president's special envoy Lim Dong-won's trip to Pyongyang in early April.

Although the two ministerial delegations have not yet set date for the inter-military talks, the South Korean government still thought it also provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss ways to prevent armed clashes and build trust between their militaries by agreeing in principle to the opening of military talks.

The military authorities of the two sides will meet in the near future, said the joint statement, without giving exact date.

However, most of the pending issues, which people of the two sides are concerned about, such as the reunion of the separated families, opening of the second round of inter-Korean economic talks and the second round of government-level talks, are included in the joint statement.

Before the formal contacts, DPRK chief negotiator Kim Ryong-song said, "I am bringing lots of gifts (for South Korea)," while his South Korean counterpart Jeong Se-hyun indicated that implementation of existing agreements is important.

The most noticeable "byproduct" of the talks is that the DPRK delegates arrived in Seoul on a direct flight over the Yellow Sea.

But in the first, third and fifth ministerial talks held in South Korea, the DPRK delegation flew to Seoul via Beijing, China.

Utilizing the inter-Korean air route is thought to be a major symbol of inter-Korean rapprochement, which was pioneered by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung during his visit to Pyongyang for the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000.

However, in contrast to South Korean government's positive attitude, the country's largest opposition party the Grand National Party (GNP) was "unimpressed" by Wednesday's statement.

"Agreements are always good, but nothing has been implemented," said GNP spokesman Nam Kyong-phil in a commentary. "One act of implementation is more important than one hundred promises. We will be watching whether the agreements made this time will be followed through."

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