South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun (R) greets Kwon Ho-ung (2nd R), a senior cabinet councilor of the DPRK, as South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (front L) watches, in Seoul June 23, 2005. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    SEOUL, June 23 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reached 12-point joint statementon measures to enhance bilateral exchanges at the end of the 15th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting, announced chief delegates of thetwo delegations to the talks in a joint press conference here.

    South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young and Kwon Ho Ung, a senior cabinet councilor of the DPRK, respectively led their delegations to the inter-Korean meeting which concluded its two-day official sessions on Thursday evening.

    "South Korea and the DPRK agreed to take substantial steps to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue through means of dialogue," said the statement.

    The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula occurred in October 2002. In order to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue, China, the DPRK, the US, Russia, South Korea and Japan have held three roundsof six-party talks in Beijing.

    But the talks have been suspended since last September when the scheduled fourth round of the talks failed to be convened.

    According to the statement, the DPRK agreed to send government delegation to the event to be held in South Korea in mid-August to celebrate the 60th anniversary of liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's colonial rule. The two sides will hold working-level meeting to discuss details in July in DPRK's border city of Kaesong, said the statement.

    The two sides also agreed to hold a new round of reunions of separated family members at the DPRK's Mount Geumgang on Aug. 25. Also in the same day, a ceremony will be held at Geumgang Mountainto mark the start of construction of a permanent place for the separated family members' reunions.

    Up to now, reunions of separated family members have been held in a hotel at the mountain.

    The two countries also agreed in principle to resume the inter-Korean general-level military talks at the DPRK's Paekdu Mountain (Chang Bai Mountain), but the statement added that the exact date of the talks will be decided later after discussions between military authorities of the two sides.

    South Korea and the DPRK held first and second general-level military talks in June 2004. But the talks has been suspended since then.

    The two sides also agreed to hold Red Cross talks in August to discuss measures to locate South Korean disappeared in the Korean War (1950-1953) who are still in the DPRK, according to the statement.

    "South Korea and the DPRK are to hold the 10th Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee Meeting on July 9-12 in Seoul," said the statement.

    In order to enhance bilateral cooperation, the two sides also agreed to open talks on fishery and agriculture respectively in July.

    Moreover, the two sides agreed to hold the 16th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting at DPRK's Mount Paekdu on Sept. 13-16. And the 17th round of the meeting is to be held in this December in South Korea, said the statement.

    The DPRK delegation is to leave here for home on Friday morning. Enditem