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Two Koreas begin military talks | Two Koreas begin military talks |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Senior generals from North and South Korea have held the first of three days of talks aimed at easing border tensions on the divided peninsula. | |
North Korea renewed its demand for the long-running dispute over the western sea border to be addressed. | |
Negotiations have failed in the past because North Korea wants the sea border to be redrawn further south. | Negotiations have failed in the past because North Korea wants the sea border to be redrawn further south. |
The talks come amid improving ties, with the North finally shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor last week. | |
The closure was part of an international disarmament deal under which North Korea receives energy aid and political incentives in return for ending its nuclear programme. | |
Sea clashes | Sea clashes |
The talks between the generals are the highest-level military dialogue between the two Koreas, who have not signed a peace treaty since the Korean War and remain technically at war. | The talks between the generals are the highest-level military dialogue between the two Koreas, who have not signed a peace treaty since the Korean War and remain technically at war. |
The western sea border has been a long-running dispute between the two sides. | The western sea border has been a long-running dispute between the two sides. |
Pyongyang does not recognise the border line - known as the Northern Limit Line - drawn up by the UN at the end of the 1950-53 war. | |
This has resulted in a number of naval clashes in the disputed rich fishing waters. Six South Korean sailors were killed in one clash in June 2002. | |
North Korea also accuses South Korean vessels of regularly violating its territorial waters - something Seoul denies. | North Korea also accuses South Korean vessels of regularly violating its territorial waters - something Seoul denies. |
Following Tuesday's opening meeting, Col Moon Seong-mook of the South Korean military said: "Of course there was a mention of the Northern Limit Line. | |
"The North said the issue needs to be discussed. We stressed again that our position... is firm." | |
He said the atmosphere of the first day of talks was "not bad", even though they concluded earlier than planned. | |
As well as looking at the sea border, the talks are also due to focus on security arrangements for joint economic projects. |
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