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DATE=6/22/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250943
TITLE=KOREA TALKS (L)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE HELD THEIR FIRST OFFICIAL 
TALKS IN MORE THAN A YEAR AT A BEIJING HOTEL.  V-O-A 
CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON  REPORTS THE MEETING OPENED A DAY 
LATER THAN SCHEDULED BECAUSE NORTH KOREA  REFUSED TO ATTEND UNTIL
IT RECEIVED A PROMISED SHIPMENT OF SOUTH KOREAN FERTILIZER.
TEXT:  THE FIRST HIGH-LEVEL NORTH-SOUTH MEETING IN 14 MONTHS 
STARTED OFF  WITH AN EXCHANGE OF PLEASANTRIES BETWEEN THE TWO 
SIDES AND CONTINUED FOR 90 MINUTES. 
THE HEAD OF THE SOUTH KOREAN DELEGATION, YANG YOUNG-SHIK, SAYS 
BOTH SIDES RE-STATED THEIR BASIC POSITIONS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
     /////YANG ACTUALITY (IN KOREAN) ESTABLISH AND FADE/////
MR. YANG SAYS THEY TALKED ABOUT REUNIONS OF FAMILIES SEPARATED BY
THE  KOREAN WAR -- WHICH ENDED 46 YEARS AGO.  HE SAYS THEY ALSO 
DISCUSSED  IMPLEMENTING A 1991 AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH THEY 
PROMISED TO PURSUE  RECONCILIATION, NON-AGGRESSION AND 
COOPERATION.  AND HE SAYS THEY REPEATED THEIR RESPECTIVE 
POSITIONS ON LAST WEEK'S NAVAL CLASH IN THE YELLOW SEA IN WHICH 
THE SOUTH SANK A NORTH KOREAN GUNBOAT.
THAT INCIDENT -- AND NORTH KOREA'S PROMISE OF RETALIATION --  HAD
THREATENED TO JEOPARDIZE THE START OF THE TALKS.  BUT MR. YANG 
INDICATED HIS HOPE FOR A SECOND MEETING.
 ///// OPT --YANG ACTUALITY (IN KOREAN) ESTABLISH AND FADE/////
// OPT // HE SAYS THE TWO SIDES WILL DETERMINE LATER TUESDAY WHEN
TO SCHEDULE A SECOND ROUND OF TALKS. // END OPT //
THE NORTH KOREAN DELEGATION HURRIED OUT OF THE MEETING WITHOUT 
OFFERING ANY COMMENT.
THE TALKS FINALLY GOT UNDERWAY AFTER A SHIPMENT OF 22-THOUSAND 
TONS OF SOUTH KOREAN FERTILIZER ARRIVED AT THE NORTH KOREAN PORT 
OF NAMPO EARLY TUESDAY.  THE NORTH KOREANS BOYCOTTED MONDAY'S 
SCHEDULED MEETING SAYING THE SOUTH HAD NOT FULFILLED AN AGREEMENT
TO DELIVER THE SHIPMENT BY SUNDAY.  THE SOUTH SAID THE SHIPMENT 
WAS DELAYED BECAUSE OF RAIN.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE SOUTH AGREED TO SHIP 100-THOUSAND TONS OF
FERTILIZER TO THE NORTH BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE BEIJING 
TALKS.  FOR ITS PART, NORTH KOREA AGREED TO DISCUSS THE REUNION 
OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES SPLIT BY THE WAR -- THE BIGGEST 
PRIORITY ON SEOUL'S AGENDA. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/JO/PLM
22-Jun-99 3:54 AM EDT (0754 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.