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Koreas hold first talks in a year Rare Koreas talks last 22 minutes
(about 8 hours later)
North and South Korea are preparing to hold their first official talks for more than a year. The first formal talks between North and South Korea for more than a year lasted just 22 minutes and ended without agreement, Seoul officials say.
Neither side has said what they plan to discuss at the meeting, which was requested by North Korea. The meeting, held at the Kaesong joint industrial zone located in the North, had been delayed for hours because of a row over the venue and agenda.
The talks are being held at the Kaesong joint industrial zone, a factory complex built with South Korean money but located inside the North. Neither side has said what was discussed during the brief meeting, which was requested by North Korea.
Pyongyang, which has been toughening its rhetoric in recent days, said it wanted to deliver an important message. The North had said it planned to make an important statement about Kaesong.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says the site is all that is left of the big, liberal-era economic co-operation projects championed by the two previous governments in the South. The talks come at a time of heightened regional tensions after the North's controversial rocket launch on 5 April, which was widely seen by its neighbours as a disguised missile test.
Following UN criticism, Pyongyang announced it was quitting international disarmament talks and restarting its nuclear programme. It has expelled US and UN nuclear monitors.
Since a conservative administration, with less appetite for unconditional aid, took over in Seoul last February, the North has cut off all official communication in protest.Since a conservative administration, with less appetite for unconditional aid, took over in Seoul last February, the North has cut off all official communication in protest.
'Act of war''Act of war'
Tuesday's talks have been called by the North because it says it has an important announcement to make concerning the industrial zone. It has given no further details. South Korean officials travelled to Kaesong early on Tuesday but talks did not start until after nightfall - more than 10 hours later. The talks lasted just 22 minutes.
Our correspondent says that in recent days North Korea has been turning up its angry rhetoric, reminding South Korea that its capital Seoul is just 50km (30 miles) from the border - well within artillery range. An official said the two sides had been in disagreement over where to hold the talks, the agenda and participants.
Tuesday's talks were called by the North because it said it had an important announcement to make concerning the industrial zone. No details of the brief meeting were given.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says that in recent days North Korea has been turning up its angry rhetoric, reminding South Korea that its capital Seoul is just 50km (30 miles) from the border - well within artillery range.
It has been angered by South Korea's plans to join a US-led initiative to track and stop ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction.It has been angered by South Korea's plans to join a US-led initiative to track and stop ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction.
North Korea may want to use the meeting to raise further protests about such a move, which it says would constitute "an act of war", our correspondent says.North Korea may want to use the meeting to raise further protests about such a move, which it says would constitute "an act of war", our correspondent says.
Some observers have suggested that it may want to raise the fate of a South Korean worker currently in its custody.Some observers have suggested that it may want to raise the fate of a South Korean worker currently in its custody.
The man was detained at the joint industrial zone three weeks ago on suspicion of denouncing the North's political system.The man was detained at the joint industrial zone three weeks ago on suspicion of denouncing the North's political system.
The talks also come at a time of heightened regional tensions after the North's controversial rocket launch on 5 April, which was widely seen by its neighbours as a disguised missile test.
Following UN criticism, Pyongyang announced it was quitting international disarmament talks and restarting its nuclear programme. It has expelled US and UN nuclear monitors.