The two Koreas are holding their first high-level military talks in over a decade,… to discuss easing cross-border tensions,… as a follow-up to the Panmunjom declaration made by the two leaders back on April 27th.
This also comes after that North Korea-U.S. freeze-for-freeze agreement with the regime halting its nuclear program and Washington announcing plans to suspend joint military exercises with South Korea.
The talks today between the Koreas,… are taking place at the border village of Panmunjom,… and we go live to our Park Ji-won who's been keeping an eye on this,… at Seoul's Office for Inter-Korean Dialogue.
Ji-won.
Good morning, Ji-yoon.
The talks have started at 10 a.m. Korea time at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom,... some 50 kilometers north of Seoul.
Five-member delegations from South and North are participating in the talks,.. and they are expected to discuss specific ways to stop hostile acts around the Korean border area,... and to promote further military cooperation.
South Korea's Unification Minister talked to the South Korean delegation here,... at the Office for the Inter-Korean Dialogue in Seoul,... before the delegation left for Panmunjom,... stressing the delegation should have a calm and active negotiating attitude.
And now let's hear what the South Korean delegation's chief negotiator, two-star general Kim Do-gyun told the media,... before the delegation headed to Panmunjom this morning.
"During the talks, we will be discussing ways to ease tensions between two Koreas, as well as ways to implement military-related agreements on the Panmumjom Declaration. We will also discuss details regarding when to hold inter-Korean talks between defense ministers. We will do our best to bring a new era of peace to the Korean Peninsula."
It's expected that the talks will continue until the late afternoon.
Currently, the talks are set for one day only,... but more of these inter-Korean military talks on a variety of issues are expected to be held.
That's all I have for now.
I will bring you more updates later in the newscast.
Back to you, Ji-yoon.
