SEOUL: North and South Korea held their first three-way talks with the United Nations Command (UNC) on Tuesday to discuss ways to demilitarise the…
SEOUL: North and South Korea held their first three-way talks with the United Nations Command (UNC) on Tuesday to discuss ways to demilitarise the border as the neighbours push for peace, South Korea’s defence ministry said.
The two Koreas agreed this week to begin reconnecting rail and road links, in spite of U. S. concerns that a rapid thaw in relations could undermine efforts to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
Tuesday’s meeting followed a North-South summit last month at which the Koreas agreed to hold talks with the U. S.-led UNC, which oversees affairs in the Demilitarised Zone separating the two Koreas, to smooth the way to disarming one of the world’s most heavily fortified frontiers.
The meeting at the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday lasted about two hours and was led by military officials of the rank of colonel from the two sides and Burke Hamilton, secretary of the UNC Military Armistice Commission, the ministry said.
“They discussed practical issues regarding demilitarisation steps to be conducted in the future,” the South Korean ministry said in a statement.
The steps they are aiming for range from withdrawing firearms and guard posts to reducing personnel and adjusting surveillance equipment, the ministry said, adding that the three-way channel would be used for more discussions.
U. S. General Vincent Brooks, who leads the United Nations Command, said the talks were designed to use existing means of managing issues along the DMZ to try to achieve the goals set out by the two Koreas.
“I am encouraged by this productive, trilateral dialogue,” Brooks said in a statement.
