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DATE=9/8/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238278
TITLE=KOREA TALKS 
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  NORTH KOREA HAS REPORTEDLY AGREED IN CONTACTS WITH THE 
UNITED STATES TO RESUME PEACE TALKS NEXT MONTH.  JOHN LARKIN 
REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE TALKS WILL TRY TO IMPOSE A PERMANENT 
PEACE TREATY ON THE TROUBLED KOREAN PENINSULA.
TEXT:  WITH TENSIONS STILL HIGH OVER NORTH KOREA'S ROCKET LAUNCH 
ON AUGUST 31ST, THE TWO SIDES NEVERTHELESS FOUND COMMON GROUND 
DURING TALKS IN NEW YORK TO AGREE TO RESTART THE STALLED PEACE 
PROCESS.
BOTH SIDES MADE CONCESSIONS, WITH THE UNITED STATES AGREEING TO 
DISCUSS, WITHIN THE MONTH, REMOVING NORTH KOREA FROM THE LIST OF 
COUNTRIES WHICH SPONSOR TERRORISM.
NEWS REPORTS IN SEOUL QUOTE GOVERNMENT SOURCES SAYING PYONGYANG 
HAS AGREED TO DISCUSS A HALT TO ITS MISSILE EXPORT PROGRAM, 
DURING A SEPARATE ROUND OF TALKS NEXT MONTH.
THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GIVEN EXTRA URGENCY BY FEARS THAT A NORTH 
KOREAN ROCKET, FIRED OVER JAPANESE TERRITORY LAST MONDAY, WAS A 
SALES PITCH TO NATIONS CONSIDERING PURCHASING NORTH KOREAN 
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY.
THE NORTH'S INSISTENCE THAT THE ROCKET CARRIED A SATELLITE 
INTOSPACE HAS SOWN CONFUSION IN WASHINGTON, TOKYO AND SEOUL. SO 
FAR THE THREE GOVERNMENTS ARE HOLDING TO THEIR ASSERTION THAT 
PYONGYANG FIRED A (TAEPO-DONG) MISSILE.
THE FOUR-PARTY PEACE TALKS ARE AIMED AT SECURING A PEACE TREATY 
TO MARK THE FORMAL END OF THE KOREAN WAR, WHICH RAGED FROM 1950 
TO 1953.  CURRENTLY THE PEACE IS KEPT BY A SHAKY ARMISTICE.
DELEGATIONS FROM NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA, CHINA AND THE UNITED 
STATES WOILL TAKE PART IN THE TALKS.  THEIR LAST ROUND COLLAPSED 
AFTER PYONGYANG STUCK TO ITS TRADITIONAL DEMAND THAT THE UNITED 
STATES WITHDRAW ITS 37-THOUSAND TROOPS FROM SOUTH KOREA.
NEWS REPORTS SAY WASHINGTON WON OVER PYONGYANG DURING THEIR 
RECENT MEETINGS IN NEW YORK BY PROMISING 300-THOUSAND TONS OF 
FOOD AID.  IN RETURN, NORTH KOREA AGREED TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF
A 1994 ACCORD DESIGNED TO DISMANTLE ITS SUSPECT NUCLEAR PROGRAM. 
(SIGNED)
NEB/JL/WTW
08-Sep-98 5:18 AM EDT (0918 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.