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North and South Korea Said to Hold High-Level Military Talks North and South Korea Hold High-Level Military Talks
(about 3 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — Military generals from South and North Korea met on their border on Wednesday in a rare meeting that followed exchanges of fire recently between troops of both sides, the South Korean media reported. SEOUL, South Korea — Top military generals from South and North Korea met on their border on Wednesday but failed to narrow their differences during a rare meeting that followed exchanges of fire recently between troops of both sides, a South Korean spokesman said.
The South Korean government said in a message to journalists that it declined to confirm the report. But the media cited government sources as saying that the meeting took place at Panmunjom, a village on the border, on Wednesday morning. Gen. Kim Yong-chol, the chief of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, the North’s top intelligence agency, met with Lt. Gen. Ryu Je-seung, chief of the Office of Planning and Coordination at the South’s Ministry of National Defense, said Kim Min-seok, the spokesman of the South Korean ministry.
Park Jie-won, an opposition party leader, said during a meeting of lawmakers on Wednesday that the military talk at Panmunjom was expected to discuss two recent shooting incidents across the inter-Korean border. During the five-hour talk held at the border village of Panmunjom — north of Seoul, South Korea — North Korea reiterated its objection to the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, which was drawn by the United Nations at the end of the Korean War in 1953 and defended by South Korea as a legitimate western sea border, Mr. Kim said. The North also repeated its claim to a new sea border many miles south of the Northern Limit Line and demanded that the South keep its ships away from the new maritime demarcation line.
On Oct. 7, the two sides’ navy boats exchanged fire on their disputed western sea border. On Friday, the two armies exchanged machine-gun fire after the North tried to shoot down large balloons carrying anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets that South Korean activists had released across the border. No casualties were reported in either incident. The navies of the two Koreas fought bloody skirmishes on the disputed Northern Limit Line in 1999, 2002 and 2009. On Oct. 7, the two sides’ navy boats exchanged fire over the line, without hitting each other.
Still, the episodes cast doubt on the two Koreas’ earlier agreement to resume high-level government dialogue late this month or early next month. That deal was struck when a group of prominent North Korean officials made a surprise visit to South Korea this month to attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games. North Korea also demanded that South Korea stop its conservative activists, including defectors from the North, and its media from slandering the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, the South Korean spokesman said. On Friday, the two armies exchanged machine-gun fire after the North tried to shoot down large balloons carrying anti-Kim Jong-un propaganda leaflets that South Korean activists had released across the border. No casualties were reported.
“Our side made it clear that we will defend the Northern Limit Line and that in our free democracy, we cannot stop civic groups from launching balloons or control news media,” said Mr. Kim, the Defense Ministry spokesman. “The meeting ended without setting a date for future talks or reaching any other agreement.”
The border talk was first suggested by North Korea following the Oct. 7 shooting incident, Mr. Kim said.
The recent border episodes cast doubt on the two Koreas’ earlier agreement to resume high-level government dialogue late this month or early next month. That deal was struck when a group of prominent North Korean officials made a surprise visit to South Korea this month to attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games.
On Monday, despite the tensions on the border, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea reaffirmed her support for dialogue, adding that her government was ready to have “sincere talks” with Pyongyang on lifting the economic sanctions the South imposed after blaming a North Korean torpedo attack for the sinking of a South Korean Navy ship in 2010.On Monday, despite the tensions on the border, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea reaffirmed her support for dialogue, adding that her government was ready to have “sincere talks” with Pyongyang on lifting the economic sanctions the South imposed after blaming a North Korean torpedo attack for the sinking of a South Korean Navy ship in 2010.
South Korea has insisted that it could consider lifting the sanctions only after North Korea apologized for the sinking. The North has denied responsibility for the sinking, which killed 46 sailors. It demanded that the South lift the sanctions and stop activists from sending propaganda balloons before inter-Korean relations can be improved.South Korea has insisted that it could consider lifting the sanctions only after North Korea apologized for the sinking. The North has denied responsibility for the sinking, which killed 46 sailors. It demanded that the South lift the sanctions and stop activists from sending propaganda balloons before inter-Korean relations can be improved.
On Wednesday, Mr. Kim said the South urged the North to take responsibility for the sinking during the Panmunjom talk. He declined to divulge more details.
The two militaries remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953, and no peace treaty has since replaced it. Military generals from both sides last met in 2007, though a lower-level military talk took place in 2011.The two militaries remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953, and no peace treaty has since replaced it. Military generals from both sides last met in 2007, though a lower-level military talk took place in 2011.