Red Cross talks postponed indefinitely

North Korea`s failure to notify Seoul of a date for the second round of inter-Korean Red Cross talks appears certain to delay the meeting to hammer out an accord on the future establishment of a permanent venue for family reunions.

As of September 4, Pyongyang had not replied to the South Korean Red Cross`s August 26 proposal that Red Cross officials from the two sides meet in the truce village of Panmunjeom September 5.

Government sources said the postponement of the talks would be inevitable as the North had yet to give a specific response to the South`s offer one day prior to the proposed date. They indicated, however, that they might have to wait until the last minute – the morning of September 5.

It is possible that further consultations between the two Koreas early this week will precede the delayed Red Cross talks to take up the issues of the establishment and operation of a "meeting place" for divided families, the exchange of additional groups of family visitors and the opening of mail service between the two nations.

In late June, Red Cross authorities of South and North Korea agreed to call a meeting of Red Cross representatives immediately after the repatriation of convicted North Korean spies and saboteurs who were captured here and released after serving long prison terms but refused to renounce their Communist beliefs.

The talks were scheduled to discuss where to establish a permanent meeting point for separated families to see their long-lost kin for the first time in five decades.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com