Inter-Korean Economic Meeting Deadlocked: Media

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 22, 2003

Inter-Korean Economic Meeting Deadlocked: Media

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The Fifth Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Meeting being held in Pyongyang were blocked by demands raised by the South Korean delegation on Wednesday, adding the possibility that the talks may end without tangible results.

According to Yonhap News, the South Korean delegation insisted that its counterpart of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should make an apology on its head Pak Chang Ryong's remarks that "if South Korea turns to confrontation against the DPRK, Seoul will sustain immeasurable negative consequences."

Since Tuesday night, representatives from the two countries have not held any meeting and a formal dinner to be attended by the two parts on Wednesday was also canceled, the South Korean delegation's spokesman Cho Myoung-gyun said at the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang.

"Unless the North (DPRK) gives us a satisfactory response on these matters there will be complications," Cho said, adding that if their demand is not met by Thursday morning, they will leave Pyongyang as scheduled. The economic meeting was slated from Monday to Thursday.

In the first session of the meeting held on Tuesday morning, DPRK delegation's leader also condemned the joint statement released by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and US President George W. Bush last week, said Yonhap.

The statement, released after the two leaders summit meeting inWashington, states "the inter-Korean exchanges will be linked to the development of the DPRK nuclear issue."

The four-day economic talks were planned to discuss inter-Korean economic exchanges such as re-construction of the inter-Korean railways and roads, breaking the ground for the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the DPRK, and South Korea's provision of rice aid to the DPRK.

South Korean delegates, led by Vice Minister of Finance and Economy Kim Gwang-lim, arrived in Pyongyang Monday evening via direct inter-Korean air route.

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