10th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks
2003-05-12
1. Summary
The 10th inter-Korean ministerial meeting, held in Pyongyang April 27-29, 2003, discussed the North Korean nuclear issue, economic cooperative projects, reunion of separated families and other issues pending between the two Koreas, and announced the outcome of the talks in the form of a joint press release.
There were three rounds of plenary sessions and several rounds of contacts between the chief delegates and between other delegates to the meeting.
Earlier, North failed to respond to a scheduled working-level discussion without notice, which led to a 20-day postponement of the 10th ministerial meeting, originally scheduled for April 7. At the time, the South's chief delegate expressed regret over the cancellation and called on the North to keep the agreed-upon meeting schedule. The North proposed a new date on April 19, to which the South concurred.
2. Six-Point Agreement
- The South and the North hereby reconfirm the basic spirit of the June 15, 2000 South-North Joint Declaration and will observe the joint declaration and continue to implement it thoroughly.
By pledging to thoroughly implement the joint declaration, South and North Korea renewed their positions to continue with reconciliation and cooperation.
At the outset of the meeting, the North tried to find out the direction of the new South Korean government toward North Korea by raising the joint ROK-U.S. military training exercises, security alert measures and the Special Prosecutor's Office to investigate the South's secret remittances to Pyongyang.
The South indicated the new government's resolve to develop inter-Korean relations by explaining in detail the objectives and principles as spelled out in the Participatory Government's "Policy of Peace and Prosperity."
In particular, the South emphasized that the inter-Korean relations should evolve on the basis of "principles and trust" and that a corresponding balance should also develop in the area of military confidence-building, along with the economic, social and cultural fields.
An inter-Korean consensus on reconciliation and cooperation was formed as the Southern delegation fully conveyed the new government's position on inter-Korean relations through contacts of the chief delegates and other delegates to the meeting.
- The South and the North will discuss fully the other party's position regarding the nuclear issue and will continue to cooperate in resolving the issue peacefully through dialogue.
From the beginning of the meeting, the South made it absolutely clear that it would not tolerate Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons and urged the North to fulfill the terms of the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The South reminded the North of its repeated statements, saying, "North Korea had neither the intention to develop nuclear arms, nor the ability to do so and that its nuclear activity will be confined to peaceful purposes of energy production."
The South also expressed regrets over the same issue raised at the three-way Beijing meeting and advised that the North engage in dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue.
It explained to the North that an early resolution of Pyongyang's nuclear issue was essential for the two Koreas to move ahead in their relations.
Instead of engaging in an argument over the nuclear issue, the South sought to convey the positions of South Korea and the international community to the North and tried to persuade the North to keep open the existing channel of dialogue.
As a result, the two parties agreed to continue to cooperate in resolving the nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue.
- The South and the North will ensure that the "June 15 People's Festival for Unification," which is being organized to mark the third anniversary of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration, will be smoothly staged and that they agreed to promote the event as a routine affair.
The two sides also agreed to discuss and promote North Korea's participation in the Daegu Summer Universiade games in August.
The North and the South will support the June 15 People's Festival for Unification, being promoted at the private-sector level, to make it become a substantive and orderly event.
By making it a routine joint social and cultural event, the two sides hope that the festival will contribute to the expansion of exchange and contact between them.
The two sides also hope that North Korea's participation in the Daegu Summer Universiade games in August following its competition in the Busan Asian Games last year will contribute to recovering the Korean people's homogeneity as well as deepening inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation through sports exchanges.
- The South and the North will actively promote cooperative projects that are being implemented as agreed to, or scheduled for implementation.
The cooperative projects include the connection of the Seoul-Sinuiju and the Donghae (East Sea) railways and highways, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, the Mt. Geumgang tourism program and compatriotic and humanitarian work.
The two sides will hold a meeting of the South-North Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee in Pyongyang from May 19 to 22.
The two sides reviewed the significance and outcome of the above cooperative projects and confirmed their mutual resolve to further promote them for peace and common prosperity on the Korean peninsula.
Consequently, the two sides came closer to taking necessary steps at an early date so that the projects are promoted smoothly. For this purpose, they agreed to hold the fifth meeting of their economic cooperation promotion committee.
The South reiterated the point that military cooperative measures, like other sectors in inter-Korean relations, must be likewise implemented to move the economic cooperative projects forward and urged the North to exert a more positive effort.
- The South and the North will actively seek to resolve the problems of separated families.
The two parties agreed to hold the seventh round of reunion of separated families in Mt Geumgang on the occasion of the third anniversary of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a reunion center at an early date. It is necessary for both sides to discuss construction of the reunion center.
The South again asked the North to work on confirmation of the whereabouts of the South Koreans abducted to the North as well as the South's prisoners of war taken to the North. However, no substantive progress has been made.
- Both parties agreed to hold the 11th inter-Korean ministerial talks in Seoul June 9-12.
Since the two Koreas agreed on their next ministerial talks, the meeting is virtually being held on a quarterly basis.
So far, the ministerial talks have functioned as a central consultative body to coordinate and adjust inter-Korean relations in general.
3. Significance
- Efforts have been made to lay a "new framework," in which to develop inter-Korean relations, based on "principles and trust."
The ministerial talks were significant in that the first high-level meeting with the North since the inception of the Participatory Government in February provided a framework for a desirable direction of relations between the two Koreas in the future.
The South conveyed to the North its explicit position that "principles and trust" must be observed while the inter-Korean relations are mutually respected.
For example, the South emphasized the point that a promise once made must be kept.
The Pyongyang meeting provided the North with the opportunity to directly listen to South Koreans about the objectives and principles of Seoul's "Policy of Peace and Prosperity." In response, the North Koreans stated that they were able to confirm South Korea's resolve to develop inter-Korean relations.
The South also emphasized the point that confidence-building in the military sector must be achieved in tandem with the exchanges and cooperation being made in the economic, social and cultural fields.
- Agreement was made to continue cooperation for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue.
The South made it absolutely clear that it would not tolerate North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and urged Pyongyang to adhere to the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula it signed.
The South also expressed regrets over the unexpected problem raised in the tripartite talks in Beijing and advised that the North should engage in dialogue and cooperation with the countries concerned for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue.
With regard to the Beijing three-way meeting over the North Korean nuclear issue, the South went to great lengths to accurately deliver the positions of Seoul and the international community on the matter.
By promising to continue to discuss the nuclear issue for a peaceful resolution through dialogue, the two Koreas have maintained a principle to prevent the matter from further exacerbation and to resolve it by peaceful means.
To this end, the South will continue to persuade the North through the inter-Korean channels of dialogue and make diplomatic efforts through international cooperation.
- Momentum for progress in inter-Korean relationship will continue by coordinating schedules for discussion of pending issues.
The South and the North promised a firm implementation of the June 15, 2000 South-North Joint Declaration and agreed to further develop their relations.
They agreed to promote the three major economic cooperative projects of railway/road connection, construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and the Mt. Geumgang tourism.
They agreed to implement the seventh round of reunion of separated families on the occasion of the third anniversary of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration.Source : www.korea.net
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