North and South Korea will hold "military talks" in order "to relieve
military tensions," the two countries said in a joint statement today
after nearly 12 hours of highly anticipated negotiations on their
border.
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North Korea will also send athletes and a high-level delegation to the
Winter Olympics next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea, they said.
Cheerleaders, artists, spectators, a taekwondo demonstration and members
of the North Korean news media will also attend the Games, according to
the statement. The two sides said they would negotiate over whether
their cheerleading groups would perform as one.
South Korea "will guarantee convenience" and "working level meetings
will follow," while a "date will be decided later," the countries said.
The two countries also pledged to resolve "national problems on our
own," a possible nod to those who believe the Korean conflict should be
resolved by the two Koreas, without the United States and other outside
actors.
South Korea had previously invited the North to send a team, and the
talks today came after a New Year's speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which he brought up the idea of sending a delegation.
South Korea proposed the two countries march together in the Opening Ceremonies, but that offer has yet to be accepted.
In its opening statement, South Korea mentioned further denuclearization
talks between the two countries. In the joint closing statement, the
head of North Korea's delegation, Ri Son-gwon, expressed "strong
discontent" at the mention of denuclearization.
Earlier, South Korea's vice unification minister, Chun Hae-Sung, said
the South's negotiating team brought up topics beyond the Olympics, with
Opening Ceremonies Feb. 9. "We proposed resuming temporary reunions of
families separated by war and holding inter-Korean Red Cross talks to
discuss this," Chun said after talks in the morning.
“Along with this, we also proposed holding inter-Korean military talks designed to reduce animosities in frontline areas."
Five representatives from the highest levels of both governments --
including South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and Ri,
North Korea's chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification
of the Country -- kicked off by meeting with a symbolic crossing by the
northern delegation into the South-controlled building called House of
Peace.
The Associated Press
The two top leaders of the delegation were not involved in afternoon talks as the sides ironed out the details of the agreement.
Neither president was in attendance, but the South's leader, President
Moon Jae-in, had planned to watch the talks on CCTV live with audio. His
counterpart, Kim, could only listen and not watch.
Journalists from both countries reported on the meeting by the minute,
and described the mood as "good." At 10 a.m. South Korean time, the
officials shook hands and took their seats.
In his opening remarks, Ri made the surprising suggestion to broadcast
the talks live to show how they are "efforting to work" on the talks "in
a transparent manner."
"We want to give the entire nation a New Year's present with a precious conclusion," he said, referring to both countries.
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