Inter-Korean maritime talks open today

South and North Korea will open a two-day maritime cooperation talks today in the North`s border city of Gaeseong. Representatives will discuss the telecommunication link that has been set up to help vessels travel safely into each country`s maritime zones.

South Korean negotiators at the two-day working-level talks commute daily from Seoul to the meeting venue at the North`s southernmost border city.

Seoul officials said the two sides will focus their discussion on the need to develop and maintain the wire communication net between both sides` naval authorities as agreed on the agreement on maritime cooperation in August.

"We have one line for faxes and one line for telephone lines," said Unification Ministry Spokesman Yang Chang-suk. "During the talks, officials will mainly talk about technical matters, like problems of the existing fixed-line and operating hours."

The two Koreas have made use of the line as a means of contact between the two countries` naval authorities when each side issues permission for its vessels to pass through the other`s waters or to send messages concerning maritime accidents or emergency patients.

Under the conditions of the August agreement, the two Koreas have opened their maritime routes and ports and allowed both sides` civilian commercial vessels to navigate through each country`s territorial waters. North Korean ships have been allowed to pass through the Jeju Strait between the southernmost tip of the Korean peninsula and

Jeju Island.

(aibang@heraldm.com)



By Annie I. Bang