Koreas call for implementation of nuclear agreement

The two Koreas today called for an international agreement under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons programmes to be “implemented soon,” but South Korea failed to get a firm commitment from the North to return to six-nation arms negotiations.

South Korea has sought, at Cabinet-level talks with the North that began on Tuesday, to lure the North back to the six-nation nuclear talks. Progress on the North’s disarmament has stalled since a breakthrough agreement in September in which the communist nation agreed to abandon its nuclear programmes in exchange for security guarantees and aid.

In a final statement today after the inter-Korean talks on Jeju island, South Korea, the two sides agreed the September agreement “has be to implemented soon and have agreed to actively co-operate for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue in accordance to common security and benefits of the people".

North Korea threatened last week to stay away from the arms talks until the US lifts financial sanctions against it for alleged illicit activities, including money laundering and counterfeiting. Today’s statement didn’t go further in saying anything about when the nuclear talks would resume.

The two Koreas also agreed today to increase economic co-operation “for common profit and prosperity and a balanced and united development of our people’s economy".

Washington has strongly urged the South to link its economic cooperation with the North to progress at the nuclear talks. Recently, the US and South Korea have publicly differed over Seoul’s engagement with the North and its “sunshine policy” of engagement with its neighbour.

Since the first-ever summit of leaders of the divided Koreas, ties between the two long-time rivals have significantly warmed. The talks this week were the 17th such high-level meeting.

At the talks, the North and South also agreed on more reunions for Koreans divided by the heavily fortified border splitting the peninsula.

They also said they would hold military talks “soon” next year to prevent conflicts along the border.

The next high-level talks were scheduled for late March in Pyongyang.