North and South Korea plan further talks

North and South Korea agreed today to hold high-level military talks “soon” to ease tensions between the nations, divided by the world’s most heavily fortified border and embroiled in a standoff over the North’s nuclear weapons development.

In a joint statement issued at the end of Cabinet-level talks in Seoul, the two Koreas also said they would cooperate to make upcoming six-nation talks on the nuclear crisis “fruitful”.

This week’s inter-Korean talks were overshadowed by the nuclear dispute as the two Koreas wrangled over how to ease the tensions over the 15 month-old crisis.

“South and North agreed to hold a military official meeting soon to ease military tension on the Korean peninsula,” the Koreas said in the joint statement.

South Korea said the rank of the negotiators would be brigadier general or higher. The defence ministers of the Koreas held talks in September 2000.

During this week’s talks, the two Koreas also agreed to hold a new round of reunions in late March for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The reunions will take place at the North’s east coast Diamond Mountain resort.