Koreas exchange accord on avoiding railway clashes<\/p>\n
SEOUL (AFP): South and North Korean military officials on
\nTuesday made a breakthrough in attempts to prevent clashes during
\nthe rebuilding of a cross-border railway, Southern defense
\nministry officials said.<\/p>\n
The ministry said the two sides had exchanged draft accords on
\naverting unintentional fighting when restoring the railway and
\nbuilding a new four-lane road alongside.<\/p>\n
The agreements called for immediate contacts to be established
\nif there was a clash between troops or injuries to construction
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
The De-Militarized Zone for the railway is considered one of
\nthe world's most high-risk trouble spots and the South Korean
\narmy has warned tight cooperation will be needed during de-mining
\nand construction operations.<\/p>\n
\"The North's position was that the two sides should move fast
\nin the issue of reconnecting the Kyungi Line,\" an official of the
\nministry told journalists however.<\/p>\n
The two sides, who met on the South Korean side of the
\nPanmunjom border truce village, also discussed details for
\nmanaging the links through the four-kilometer-wide zone.<\/p>\n
Agreement to rebuild the railway has been one of the key
\noutcomes of the new reconciliation between the rival Koreas.
\nThe railway will reconnect Seoul and Pyongyang and from there go
\nup to the city of Shinuiju on the North Korean border with China.<\/p>\n
The two Koreas, which split in 1945 and fought a devastating
\nthree-year war from 1950, also agreed to build a new road
\nalongside the railway between Seoul and the North's border city
\nof Kaesong.<\/p>\n
South Korea's Hyundai Group is building an industrial park in
\nKaesong to produce export goods.<\/p>\n
Despite fears of wrangling at the talks, a defense ministry
\nspokesman said: \"Today's talks were held in a business-like
\natmosphere.\"<\/p>\n
He stressed the discussions were free from politics. At the
\nfirst round of talks last week, the North strongly protested
\nagainst an alleged territorial infringement in the Yellow Sea by
\nSouth Korean naval ships last month.<\/p>\n
And on Monday, the South Korean defense ministry released a
\nWhite Paper policy document which said North Korea was still the
\nSouth's \"main enemy\" despite their reconciliation moves.<\/p>\n
The leaders of the rival states agreed to start work on the
\nrailroad and take other peace initiatives at a historic summit in
\nPyongyang in June.<\/p>\n
\"Despite the rapid thaw in inter-Korean relations since the
\nJune summit, we maintain the concept of a primary enemy,\" said
\nMaj. Gen. Cha Young-Koo, director general of the ministry's
\nPolicy Planning Bureau.<\/p>\n
He said the ministry has seen no significant change in the
\nNorth's offensive deployment of troops along the border and its
\nmilitary power.<\/p>\n
The paper said North Korea has deployed more than 55 percent
\nof its key forces in forward bases near the border.<\/p>\n
It also said the United States, which keeps 37,000 troops in
\nthe South, would deploy up to 690,000 troops on the Korean
\npeninsula if a new war broke out.<\/p>\n
The third round of the military talks will take place on Dec.
\n21 on the North Korean side of the Panmunjom border truce
\nvillage.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/koreas-exchange-accord-on-avoiding-railway-clashes-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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