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DATE=6/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-260875
TITLE=KOREA / TALKS / L
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA ARE SCHEDULED TO OPEN FOUR DAYS OF 
TALKS MONDAY IN BEIJING, IN THE FIRST OFFICIAL CONTACT BETWEEN 
THE TWO SIDES IN 14 MONTHS.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON 
REPORTS THE MEETING -- WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH 
HUMANITARIAN ISSUES -- COULD FACE DIFFICULTIES IF THE NORTH 
BRINGS UP LAST WEEK'S SINKING OF ONE OF ITS GUN BOATS BY THE 
SOUTH.
TEXT:  THE TALKS AT A BEIJING HOTEL ARE EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON 
SOUTH KOREAN FOOD AND FERTILIZER AID FOR THE FAMINE-STRICKEN 
NORTH AND REUNITING THOUSANDS OF SEPARATED FAMILIES ON THE 
DIVIDED PENINSULA.
LAST YEAR, BILATERAL TALKS WERE CUT SHORT WHEN SOUTH KOREA SAID 
IT WOULD ONLY GIVE AID TO THE NORTH IF THE RECLUSIVE COMMUNIST 
STATE COMMITTED ITSELF TO ALLOW SUCH FAMILY REUNIONS. 
LAST WEEK'S NAVAL CLASH BETWEEN THE TWO KOREA'S IN THE YELLOW SEA
HAS THROWN ANOTHER OBSTACLE IN THE WAY OF THE TALKS.  NORTH KOREA
HAS VOWED TO RETALIATE FOR THE SINKING BY SOUTH KOREA OF ITS GUN 
BOAT.  THE FIGHTING OCCURRED WHEN SOUTH KOREAN NAVAL VESSELS 
TRIED TO NUDGE NORTH KOREAN SHIPS OUT OF A BUFFER ZONE THAT HAS 
SERVED AS A DE-FACTO MARITIME BOUNDARY SINCE THE END OF THE 
KOREAN WAR, 46 YEARS AGO.
DESPITE THE INCIDENT, SOUTH KOREA'S RED CROSS SAYS IT HAS 
RECEIVED ASSURANCES FROM ITS COUNTERPART IN THE NORTH THAT NORTH 
KOREAN OFFICIALS WILL BE PRESENT AT THE TALKS MONDAY.
A SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMAT IN BEIJING SAYS THE NORTH KOREAN 
DELEGATION COULD BRING UP THE INCIDENT AND THE BOUNDARY ISSUE, IN
WHICH CASE THE TALKS MIGHT BE JEOPARDIZED.  THE BOUNDARY WAS 
UNILATERALLY DEMARCATED IN 1953 BY THE UNITED NATIONS COMMAND -- 
WHICH FOUGHT AGAINST CHINESE-BACKED NORTH KOREA.  SOUTH KOREA 
SAYS NORTH KOREA PASSIVELY ACCEPTED THE DEMARCATION IN 1992.
THE SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMAT SAYS ANY TIME MILITARY TENSIONS 
DOMINATE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO KOREA'S, EFFORTS ON 
HUMANITARIAN AGREEMENTS, SUCH AS FAMILY REUNIONS, FAIL.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR
FAMILIES BECAUSE OF MASS MIGRATIONS DURING THE KOREAN WAR.  
(SIGNED)
NEB  / RW / WD / WD
20-Jun-99 4:46 AM EDT (0846 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.