DATE=6/25/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251081
TITLE=KOREA TALKS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS IN BEIJING SAY TALKS BETWEEN THEIR
COUNTRY AND NORTH KOREA ARE BACK ON TRACK AFTER BEING SUSPENDED 
EARLIER IN THE WEEK -- WHEN NORTH KOREA DEMANDED AN APOLOGY FOR 
THE SINKING OF ONE OF ITS GUNBOATS.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER 
WILKISON REPORTS SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS SAY THE NORTH KOREANS 
HAVE NOT SET ANY PRECONDITIONS FOR RESUMING THE TALKS ON 
SATURDAY.

TEXT:  THE HIGHEST-LEVEL CONTACT BETWEEN OFFICIALS FROM THE TWO 
KOREAS IN 14 MONTHS ENDED ABRUPTLY LAST TUESDAY AFTER 90 MINUTES 
WHEN NORTH KOREA INSISTED ON A SOUTH KOREAN APOLOGY FOR LAST 
WEEK'S NAVAL CONFRONTATION IN  THE YELLOW SEA.  BUT SOUTH KOREAN 
DIPLOMATS SAID ON THURSDAY THAT THEY  RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL 
FROM THEIR NORTHERN COUNTERPARTS OFFERING TO  REOPEN THE TALKS.  
AFTER GETTING THE GO-AHEAD FROM SEOUL, THE SOUTH KOREAN 
DELEGATION SAID IT WAS READY TO MEET WITH PYONGYANG'S 
REPRESENTATIVES.

SEOUL HAS INSISTED THAT THE TALKS FOCUS ON REUNIONS OF FAMILIES 
DIVIDED BY THE KOREAN WAR, WHICH ENDED 46 YEARS AGO.  IT WANTS 
THE NORTH TO ALLOW  THESE SEPARATED FAMILIES TO EXCHANGE LETTERS 
AND MEET IN SO-CALLED REUNION STATIONS ALONG THE BORDER.  
PYONGYANG, WHICH HAS PREVIOUSLY RESISTED SUCH PROPOSALS, WAS 
ENTICED INTO DISCUSSING THEM AFTER SOUTH KOREA PROMISED TO SEND 
200 THOUSAND TONS OF FERTILIZER TO THE NORTH BY THE END OF JULY. 
HALF OF THAT AMOUNT HAS ALREADY ARRIVED IN THE FAMINE-STRICKEN 
COMMUNIST COUNTRY.

AS THE NORTH KOREANS SIGNALED THEIR READINESS TO TALK TO THE 
SOUTH, THE  RECLUSIVE STATE'S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER ENDED TWO 
DAYS OF MEETINGS --ALSO  IN BEIJING-- WITH A U-S ENVOY.  ALTHOUGH
NEITHER SIDE WOULD TALK TO REPORTERS,  DIPLOMATS SAID THE MAIN 
ITEM OF DISCUSSION WAS A U-S OFFER TO END ECONOMIC SANCTIONS 
AGAINST NORTH KOREA, AND EVEN RECOGNIZE IT  DIPLOMATICALLY, IF 
PYONGYANG STOPS DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC 
MISSILES.

ON THURSDAY, THE UNITED STATES WARNED NORTH KOREA THAT IT WILL 
SUFFER SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF IT FOLLOWS UP LAST YEAR'S TEST OF 
A LONG-RANGE  MISSILE WITH ANOTHER TEST LAUNCH THIS YEAR.  SOUTH 
KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG SAID SUCH A TEST WOULD HURT NORTH 
KOREA'S INCIPIENT TIES WITH HIS COUNTRY, JAPAN AND THE UNITED 
STATES.

                        /// REST OPT ///

REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL THREE COUNTRIES ARE MEETING IN WASHINGTON 
LATER FRIDAY TO DISCUSS A COMMON STRATEGY IN DEALING WITH NORTH 
KOREA.  (SIGNED)

NEB/RW/GC/JO

25-Jun-99 6:06 AM EDT (1006 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.