North, South Korea reach accord to ease tensions
Print Edition
South Korea says it got an apology. North Korea says its arch-rival learned a “serious lesson.” That’s how compromises are engineered on a peninsula that has technically been at war for more than 60 years.
Seoul halted anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers on the border yesterday, hours after North Korea expressed “regret” over two South Korean soldiers maimed by land mine blasts.
North Korea’s carefully worded yet vague statement, produced after more than 40 hours of talks between the countries, helped bring the rivals back from threats that seemed set to spin out of control last week.
The Koreas also struck an important humanitarian agreement by promising to begin talks in September to plan emotional reunions of families separated by the Korean War. The reunions could take place as early as October, considering the time needed to match relatives and agree on a venue. It’s unclear how long the good mood will continue. But in the short term at least, the deal was a relief, easing prospects of fighting between two countries that had seemed unwilling to give ground to the other.
“I hope the two sides faithfully implement the agreements and build up (mutual) confidence through a dialogue and cooperation and that it serves as a chance to work out new South-North relations,” chief South Korean negotiator and presidential national security director Kim Kwan-jin said in a televised news conference.
Pyongyang had denied involvement in the land mine explosions earlier this month. South Korea resumed its loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border in response to the blast.
Last week, Seoul said North Korea launched an artillery barrage in response to the broadcasts. Pyongyang denied it, but South Korea’s military answered with substantially greater firepower, sending dozens of artillery rounds across the border.
No injuries were reported in either incident, but North Korea reacted with fury, declaring that its front-line troops were in full war readiness and prepared to go to battle unless Seoul dismantled the loudspeakers by Saturday.
Negotiations began on Saturday at the border village of Panmunjom, where the Koreas agreed to the 1953 cease-fire that stopped fighting in the Korean War.
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