Koreas End Economic Talks Without Agreement
2003-02-15
North Korean economic delegates flied back home on Friday (Feb. 14) with their hands empty, after four days of much troubled talks with their southern counterparts.
The two sides issued a joint press statement on behalf of the much-awaited joint agreement statement.
“We reached a consensus on the need to develop and expand economic cooperation between two Koreas,” it read, “The two will continue to consult with each other to implement what they had already agreed at previous meetings.”
Head of the South Korean delegation Yoon Jin-shik told reporters that, “The two sides tried to reach an accord through overnight talks, but they failed to narrow their differences due to the sensitive nuclear issue.”
South Korean officials opted for the issue as the first on the agenda, saying its prompt solution is a prerequisite to continued economic cooperation.
Delegates from the North, however, reiterated their earlier position that the South should remain a third party about the issue.
They also failed to set a specific timetable for the reconnection of the Gyeongui (Seoul-Siniju) and Donghae (East Cost) cross-border lines, as well as the ground-breaking date for the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, citing the need for more time as the reason.
From the beginning, few expected tangible results from the last meeting under the current government.
“North Korean delegates looked very depressed, compared to when they visited here last August for the previous meeting,” said an official from the Ministry of Finance and Economy on condition of anonymity.
“It is understandable, given that the international community is reacting cold-heartedly to the North's nuclear brinkmanship.”
The event, the fourth of its kind, came as the International Atomic Energy Agency decided to refer the North Korean nuclear issue to the UN Security Council.
The significance of the meeting might lie in the fact that such an event took place at this troublesome time rather than the actual accomplishments, the official added.
South and North Korea plan to hold the next economic talks in Pyongyang in April.
Source : www.korea.net
