Controversies on ``Emergency Alert``

South and North Korea extended one day of their scheduled meeting for the 6th Minister Level Meeting at Mt. Keumgang, after a failed under-the-table attempt for the negotiation about the `emergency alert situation` in the South, which had been the hottest issue during this meeting.

The two Koreas has reached an agreement to release a joint announcement including the timetable of the agreements between the both Koreas and to conclude the controversies about the emergency alert through the concluding addresses of the chief representatives from the South and the North at the 3rd general meeting on Nov. 13. Despite of the basic agreement, however, the two sides have failed to reach an agreement on the content and the degree of the concluding address of Hong Soon-Young, Chief Delegate of the South.

A related official said, ``by the extension of the meeting by a day, the negotiation will start all over again. We will see what will come out as a result.``

However, the North withdrew a little bit from their severe urge to lift the emergency alert by the end of this month. Consequently, the both sides are negotiating about the separated family reunion at Mt. Keumgang at the same time with the resolution of the South`s emergency alert situation.

A related officials addressed the question whether the change of the North`s position is related to the South aid to the North, ``the North did not mentioned anything about the South`s aid to the North such as the food supply to the North.``

spear@donga.com