DATE=4/18/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=KOREA TALKS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261455
BYLINE=HYUN-SUNG KHANG
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: South Korea's Foreign Affairs Minister
says the June summit between North and South
Korea could end half a century of hostilities
between the two countries. As Hyun-Sung Khang
reports from Seoul, the comment came as South
Korea proposed the two sides sit down on Saturday
for preparatory talks on the summit.
TEXT: South Korea has proposed working-level
talks at the truce village of Panmunjom, located
in the demilitarized zone, dividing the two
Korea's.
The proposal was made by telephone, by the Red
Cross representative in South Korea, to his
counterpart in the North. The Red Cross has long
been a conduit for communications between the two
sides.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman says
Pyongyang immediately accepted, but he added
North Korea may still make counter proposals.
North Korea is believed to prefer Beijing as a
venue for the working level talks.
Seoul has proposed that a five member delegation
from each country, headed by a vice-minister,
discuss procedural details surrounding the June
summit, including the agenda and security issues.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Lee Joung Bin told
reporters on Tuesday the South Korean government
is working towards the June meeting with a deep
sense of historic mission and achievement. He
says the summit could signal the end of 50 years
of hostilities between the two countries and in
his words, "put them on a new footing of
reconciliation."
The planned meeting in June 12th to 14th between
the South Korean President, Kim Dae Jung and the
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Il, will be the
first of its kind, since the two Koreas were
divided in 1945. In the past, North Korea has
rejected direct contacts with the South, calling
the Seoul government a puppet of Washington.
Technically, the two Koreas are still at war. No peace
treaty was ever signed following the civil conflict
in 1950-1953.
NEB/HSK/FC
18-Apr-2000 04:09 AM EDT (18-Apr-2000 0809 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
