• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

21st Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks Open

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

   Seoul, May 30 (KCNA correspondent) -- The 21st North-South Ministerial Talks opened in Seoul on Wednesday.
    Present there were members of the north side's delegation led by Chief Councilor of the DPRK Cabinet Kwon Ho Ung and its suite members and delegates of the south side with Minister of Unification Ri Jae Jong as chief delegate and its suite members.
    The head of the north side's delegation and the south side's chief delegate made speeches at the talks.
    Kwon analyzed the experience and lesson, reviewing how the inter-Korean ministerial talks proceeded, before advancing proposals reflecting the principled stand of the north side to firmly preserve and thoroughly implement the idea of "By our nation itself".
    He underscored the need to abide by the principle of settling the issues related to the inter-Korean relations from the stand of attaching importance to the nation and placing it above anything else.
    Recalling that the implementation of the points agreed between the north and the south is held up due to the outside forces' interference and relations with outside forces are considered more important than the inter-Korean relations, he called for implementing to the letter the agreed points reflecting the interests and wishes of the nation on the principle of attaching importance to the nation and placing it above anything else.
    He also underlined the need to take decisive measures against the occurrence of any acts of provoking the other dialogue partner and endangering the inter-Korean relations.
    He referred to the fact that there have been a chain of abnormal developments running counter to the main spirit of the June 15 Joint Declaration since the 20th inter-Korean ministerial talks as evidenced by the north-targeted military exercises staged by the south side together with outside forces and a spate of insolent remarks let loose by its authorities including the prime minister to slander the ideology and system in the DPRK and even negate its sovereignty and inviolable territory.
    Deploring that one can hardly witness the implementation of the agreed points related to such fundamental and principled matters as matters of taking practical measures to ensure that each other's ideology and system are recognized and respected, he declared that in that context it is advisable for the current talks to focus the discussion on settling the fundamental points already agreed rather than working to make new agreements.
    The talks go on.