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Talks on S. Korean warship sinking start
PYONGYANG, North Korea, (UPI) -- Military talks with North Korea about the sinking of a South Korean warship began Thursday morning, the United Nations Command said.
The colonel-level talks between members of the North Korean People's Army and the command's Military Armistice Commission are taking place in the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, Japan's Kyodo news service reported.
The talks had been scheduled for Tuesday, but North Korea asked for a delay, citing "administrative reasons," South Korean Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.
The colonel-level discussion is a preliminary to general-level talks on the sinking, the U.N. Command said.
The rescheduled meeting is the first of its kind since the Cheonan warship sank near the western sea border in March, killing 46 sailors, Yonhap said.
A South Korea-led multinational investigation said North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan. North Korea has denied having a role in the ship's sinking and said sanctions or punishment would lead to war.
South Korea took the matter before the U.N. Security Council, which late last week released a presidential statement condemning the attack as "an incident that endangers peace and security in the region and beyond," Kyodo said. Though it didn't specifically say North Korea was responsible for the warship's demise, it noted the results of the international investigation that blamed the North. It also warned against any further attacks and called for North Korea to meet the commitments of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
The Military Armistice Commission is responsible for supervising the implementation of the truce and is a conduit for negotiations over alleged violations.
PYONGYANG, North Korea, (UPI) -- Military talks with North Korea about the sinking of a South Korean warship began Thursday morning, the United Nations Command said.
The colonel-level talks between members of the North Korean People's Army and the command's Military Armistice Commission are taking place in the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, Japan's Kyodo news service reported.
The talks had been scheduled for Tuesday, but North Korea asked for a delay, citing "administrative reasons," South Korean Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.
The colonel-level discussion is a preliminary to general-level talks on the sinking, the U.N. Command said.
The rescheduled meeting is the first of its kind since the Cheonan warship sank near the western sea border in March, killing 46 sailors, Yonhap said.
A South Korea-led multinational investigation said North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan. North Korea has denied having a role in the ship's sinking and said sanctions or punishment would lead to war.
South Korea took the matter before the U.N. Security Council, which late last week released a presidential statement condemning the attack as "an incident that endangers peace and security in the region and beyond," Kyodo said. Though it didn't specifically say North Korea was responsible for the warship's demise, it noted the results of the international investigation that blamed the North. It also warned against any further attacks and called for North Korea to meet the commitments of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
The Military Armistice Commission is responsible for supervising the implementation of the truce and is a conduit for negotiations over alleged violations.
