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As part of the follow-up measures for the Panmunjeom Declaration of the inter-Korean summit on Apr. 27, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense announced that it began “dismantling loudspeaker equipment along the Military Demarcation Line [MDL]” on May 1. In the above photo, South Korean soldiers are seen dismantling 24000W loudspeakers at a military post near the Imjin River in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, in June 2004. (Hankyoreh archive)
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Follow-up inter-Korean talks to be held at various levels and areas
The South Korean military is set to begin taking down equipment for loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on May 1 “as a follow-up measure to the Panmunjeom Declaration,” the Ministry of National Defense announced on the morning of Apr. 30. The ministry explained that the decision was “part of an effort to abide by the terms of the Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, in which [the South and North Korean leaders] agreed to suspend all hostile activities in the MDL area and dismantle the equipment used for them.” The decision echoed comments made during a Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting the same afternoon presided over by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who stressed the importance of “pan-governmental follow-up measures to implement the Panmunjeom Declaration with a sense of urgency.” During the Apr. 27 inter-Korean summit at Panmunjeom, President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un repeatedly emphasized the importance of “swift tactics” and “irreversible implementation.” While implementation of the declaration’s terms is possible through unilateral friendly measures by Seoul and Pyongyang, it is fundamentally a matter to be addressed in follow-up talks on implementing those terms. Referring to the system for follow-up talks in previously issued material on the Panmunjeom Declaration, the inter-Korean summit preparation committee explained that talks “would also be held in consultation with the North to discuss implementation of the agreement’s terms in different areas, including inter-Korean military talks at the general level and inter-Korean Red Cross talks.” “After that, high-level inter-Korean talks will be held for concrete discussions on implementing the Panmunjeom Declaration,” it added, indicating that the follow-up discussions are to be approached through area-based talks followed by high-level talks. The plan is to first identify the terms in the declaration that can be fleshed out through area-based agreements and implementation, with the resulting procedures and momentum from that serving as a basis for high-level talks toward additional agreements and implementation within a broader framework. The process is not set in stone, however. A South Korean senior official explained that “the possibility of holding high-level talks first is under internal consideration.” The senior representatives to high-level talks are Minister of Unification Cho Myoung-gyon from the South Korean side and Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland chairman Ri Son-gwon from the North Korean side. The measures ultimately adopted by Seoul are expected to be examined and decided by an inter-Korean summit implementation committee, which appears set to be formed sometime this week. A South Korean senior government official explained, “The format for follow-up talks is to be decided through discussions with the North in consideration of the general environment, including the North Korea-US summit schedule.” The South and North Korean sides are reportedly engaged in closed behind-the-scenes discussions through Panmunjeom and other channels on the implementation of the Panmunjeom Declaration, including the schedule for follow-up talks. Whichever approach the two sides opt for in their follow-up discussion process, general-level military talks are definitely set to take place “in May” as stipulated in the declaration. In an Apr. 30 briefing, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo said, “It still has not been decided who will be discussing what agenda when [as senior representative].” Inter-Korean Red Cross talks, which are essential to implementing the declarations’ terms regarding “reunion programs for the separated families on the occasion of the National Liberation Day of Korea on August 15 this year,” are also likely to take place in May. Past precedent suggests at least two to three months are needed to prepare for a reunion event. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon also described Red Cross talks and divided family member reunions as “one of the things we will need to pursue as a priority over other things.” By Lee Je-hun, Editor in Chief Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
