Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting Will Be Held on 15-18th

Both Koreas agreed on the resumption of the 5th Inter-Korean ministerial meeting that had been canceled by the unilateral suspension of the North on March this year, in Seoul from 15th-18th of August.

The government proposed the timetable to the North through the liaison office in Panmunjom at 10:00 a.m. yesterday. The telegraph letter to the chairperson of the North Korean delegation from the chief delegate of the South reads ``we welcome the North proposal for the immediate resumption of the Inter-Korean dialogue in the spirit of the 6.15 South-North Joint Declaration.``

The North sent an exceptionally quick response to the telegraph letter at 3:00 p.m. yesterday, accepting the South`s suggestion.

Since North Korea is known as having completed its position on the Inter-Korean matters through the North-Russia summit and the North-China summit, the resumption of the Inter-Korean dialogue after 6 months interruption may anticipate a new horizon for the Inter-Korean and the North-U.S. relationship.

Particularly, since the government is planning to set the chairperson Kim Jong-Il`s return visit to Seoul as a major agenda for this minister level meeting, the possibility of the Kim Jong-Il`s return visit in the year is to be estimated by the meeting.

A government authority remarked that, ``Both Koreas will discuss the implementing measures of the 4 agreements for the economic cooperation including the re-connection of the Seoul-Shinuiju Railroad, Separated family matters, Gaeseong Industrial Complex, and the overland route of the Mt. Keumgang Tour.``

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com