New | Landmark Korea talks end with question marks after South, North fail to agree on US drills
Envoys fail to agree on many other issues from nuclear programme and tourism, save for consensus on holding family reunions
The highest-level talks between the rival Koreas in years ended late Wednesday with little progress because of North Korea’s call for the delay of annual military drills between Seoul and Washington set for later this month, officials said.
Seoul officials said the meeting in the border truce village of Panmunjom was requested by North Korea, which has launched a recent charm offensive after raising tensions last spring with repeated threats to fire nuclear-tipped missiles against Seoul and Washington.
Later this month, the two Koreas are to hold reunions of families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War. It would be the first such reunions in more than three years.
The “candid” talks formally ended just before midnight, the South’s Unification Ministry said, with a decision to continue discussions but no set timetable for doing so.
Our side maintained its position that it cannot accept the North’s demands ... because it runs against our principle
During Wednesday’s meeting, South Korea stressed to North Korea that the smooth arrangement of the scheduled family reunions was a first step towards improving inter-Korean ties, according to a statement issued early on Thursday by the South’s Unification Ministry, which is responsible for ties with the North.