Iran Press/Asia: The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) kicked off high-level talks Monday in the border village of Panmunjom to discuss ways to implement the Pyongyang Declaration, which the leaders of the two Koreas announced in the latest summit in Pyongyang in September.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the senior-level dialogue started at 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) as scheduled at the Peace House, a ROK's building in the truce village.
The five-member ROK's delegation was led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
Before heading to the dialogue venue, Cho told reporters that the dialogue agenda would be the implementation of the Pyongyang Declaration and schedules for working-level talks for detailed discussion.
Related news:
Two Koreas open their first joint liaison office
In Sep.14, the first joint liaison office of two Koreas in the North Korean border town of "Kaesong" staffed by personnel from both countries, marking another advance in the rival states’ rapidly improving relationship.
The DPRK delegation was headed by Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.
The Pyongyang Declaration was signed by the ROK's President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un after their third summit in Pyongyang in September.
To implement the declaration, the senior delegates from the two Koreas were forecast to discuss ways to modernize and connect railways and roads across the inter-Korean border and form a joint military committee to stop hostile acts near the border.
They were also expected to fix the date for Red Cross talks to discuss the launch of a venue for a regular reunion of Korean families, separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War while discussing cultural and sports exchanges.
The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war as the three-year war ended with an armistice.
The rapprochement on the Korean peninsula was triggered earlier this year when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un decided to send athletes, cheerleaders and his sister as an envoy to the Winter Olympics in the South.
South Korea has dismissed concerns that it is opening up to the North too quickly, and that it should insist on more concrete steps toward denuclearization in return.
Read More:
Two Koreas remove mines for easing military tensions
2 Koreas hold talks on connecting railways
Two Koreas to Hold Talks on Sports, Family Reunions, Railway Connections
