Korean states agree to talks

SOUTH KOREA agreed yesterday to a North Korean offer of high-level military talks, a major breakthrough in the crisis on the peninsula which improves the prospect of renewed aid-for-disarmament negotiations.

Pyongyang bowed to Seoul’s demands for talks about two deadly attacks last year. Washington and Beijing have argued North-South dialogue is a prerequisite to a resumption of six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia.

Pyongyang walked out of the aid-for-disarmament talks in 2009, pronouncing them dead.