2nd inter-Korean defense talks expected in late Feb.

The second South-North Korean defense ministers' meeting is expected to be held in North Korea in late February or early March.

The two Koreas opened Wednesday the fourth meeting of their working-level defense commission at the Peace House on the southern side of truce village of Panmunjom. Officials reached agreement on joint regulations governing the military personnel and workers that will be assigned to reconnect the Kyongui(Seoul-Shinuiju) Railway and carry out other projects in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The two sides also agreed to hold another round of talks around Feb. 6 with a view to striking a final accord.

Army Brig. Gen. Kim Kyong-Duck, chief South Korean delegate, said after the meeting that the two sides have yet to agree on five out of 41 items in the joint regulations, but reported that they had agreed to hold a fifth round of working-level talks to wrap up the task. He added that if a final agreement were reached, the two sides would hold the second inter-Korean defense ministers' meeting at an early date.

It is thus expected that the second inter-Korean defense talks will be held shortly before or after the second-stage Kyongui Railway construction project is launched in March.

Two sides agreed that the joint regulations would be known as the Agreement on the Military Guarantee for the Installation of the South-North Joint Management Area and Projects for Reconnecting the Kyongui Railway and Constructing an Adjacent Highway.

Lee Chol-Hi klimt@donga.com