S-N ministers' talks to be held in Seoul

South and North Korea will hold ministerial-level talks in Seoul July 29-31 to discuss the implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration.

The talks were confirmed Sunday when the South Korean government decided to accept the modified proposal North Korea`s premier, Hong Song-Nam, made in a letter through consultations among related ministries, including the Ministry of Unification.

The scheduled inter-Korean talks will be the first minister-level conference between the South and the North since the two sides held their seventh high-level meeting in May 1992 in Seoul.

The government selected five representatives to the meeting led by Unification Minister Park Jae-Kyu Sunday.

The government will deliver a telephone message to notify the Northern side of the list of the Southern delegates and its decision to accept the modified proposal Monday.

The South Korean delegates will include vice ministerial-level officials from the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Defense, according to government sources. The North Korean delegation will likely be led by Song Ho-Kyung, vice chairman of the (North) Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee. Other members will include ranking officials of the National Economic Cooperation Federation or "Mingyongnyon," and the Cabinet.