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Inter-Korean General-Level Military Talks Open

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

   Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- The 6th north-south general-level military talks opened in the portion of the south side in Panmunjom Tuesday.
    At the talks both sides continued the discussion on the main agenda item of the talks "On military measures to prevent clashes in the waters of the West Sea of Korea and realize joint fishing there."
    Lieut. General of the Korean People's Army Kim Yong Chol, head of the north side's delegation, made a contrastive analysis of the differing stances and attitudes of both sides that have so far been manifested in the discussion and accused the south side of its wrong approach towards the issue of the peace of the country and military detente.
    He said:
    The south side is persistently evading the fundamental solution to the issue of preventing clashes in the waters of the West Sea of Korea, talking about the "settlement of peace" and "building of a peace-keeping mechanism." It is also keen to misuse the issue of joint fishing for meeting its political and strategic purposes.
    The south side does not show any earnest efforts for the settlement of the issues related to the West Sea including the prevention of clashes. This goes to prove that it does not have any stand of thinking of the destiny of the country and nation before anything else.
    The south side is categorically rejecting the principled proposals for preventing clashes in the waters of the West Sea and realizing joint fishing there, not away from the hackneyed Cold War-minded way of thinking. It does not hesitate to shamelessly assert that the "northern limit line" is the only marine boundary line in the West Sea of Korea.
    Even at this time when the talks between the north and south militaries are underway the south side is resorting to such mean psychological warfare against the north as scattering handbills in violation of the north-south agreement while escalating its intrusion into the territorial waters of the north side, asserting that they are the waters under its control. This furnishes a clear testimony that the south side is keen on the confrontation of ideology and ism and military showdown, swimming against the trend of the times.
    Then he proposed a series of ways of advancing the talks in conformity with the expectation and wishes of the nation.
    He said:
    The military authorities of both sides should have firm will and determination to be a main player in preventing clashes in the waters of the West Sea and realizing joint fishing without fail.
    And the south side should be bold enough to drop its wrong assertions and views based on the Cold War-minded way of thinking. The south side should not interpret and distort as it pleases the inter-Korean agreements already adopted thanks to the concerted efforts of the nation and the provisions of the internationally recognized law.
    Underscoring the need to refrain from any acts to vitiate the atmosphere of the talks in order to advance the talks between the north and south militaries, the head of the north side's delegation demanded the south side halt various forms of psychological warfare against the dialogue partner, the reckless intrusion into the other's territorial waters and all the war maneuvers being staged together with foreign forces as an immediate task.
    The talks continue.