SEOUL, July 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea is yet to consider higher-level
meetings with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) though
working-level inter-Korean talks on the joint complex so far haven't made any
progress, the unification ministry said Friday.
South Korea and the DPRK have held three rounds of working-level talks on
the issue of the inter-Korean industrial complex since last month, but failed to
make much progress.
As it is prevalently expected that the two sides are unlikely to reach a
compromise in the near future, a higher-level dialogue with the DPRK has been
suggested by local media and experts.
But South Korea's unification ministry said it is premature to consider a
higher-level meeting as it is not a matter involving the format of negotiations,
but a matter related to the general situation on relations between South Korea
and the DPRK, ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said at a press briefing.
The two sides held a third round of working-level talks on Thursday,
through which no fruitful results or follow-up meeting schedule were settled.
While South Korea maintained the issue of its worker detained in the DPRK
for publicly denouncing the DPRK regime as its priority, the DPRK has constantly
refused to release him as South Korea requests.
The DPRK, on the other hand, claimed that South Korea should raise wages
for its workers in Kaesong and the land fee to 500 million U.S. dollars.
The Kaesong complex, where 106 South Korean companies operate with some
40,000 DPRK workers, makes a variety of products, from electronics and watches
to shoes and utensils.
The park, located in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong, was jointly set up
as a reconciliation project of the two sides.
S Korea, DPRK close talks without
breakthrough, no date for follow-up meeting
SEOUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The third round of talks between
South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ended without
an afternoon session on Wednesday, making no progress from the previous
negotiations.
"Although we discussed over holding an afternoon session
to continue talks, we failed to meet again as we could not narrow differences on
the issues," Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said. Full story
S Korea, DPRK resume talks over joint
industrial complex
SEOUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean and Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s delegations held the third round of
government-level talks at the Kaesong Joint Industrial Complex on Thursday.
The talks started at 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) as scheduled at
the joint park in the DPRK's border city of Kaesong, and ended after lasting an
hour and 10 minutes.
During the morning session, the two sides shared their
positions and exchanged views, according to South Korea's senior unification
ministry official. Full story
S Korea to raise issue of worker
detained in DPRK at ASEAN Regional Forum
SEOUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korea wishes discuss
the issue of its worker detained in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to be held in Thailand later this
month, foreign minister said Thursday.
"As it is a grave issue related to human rights, I think I
will have to make reference to it," Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said at his
monthly press briefing. Full story
