DATE=6/26/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251133
TITLE=KOREA TALKS / L
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE RESUMED TALKS IN BEIJING THE 
SOUTH HOPES WILL LEAD TO AN AGREEMENT ON REUNITING FAMILIES 
SEPARATED BY THE KOREAN WAR.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON 
REPORTS THE TWO SIDES OFFERED FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE 
NEARLY-TWO-HOUR MEETING, BUT SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS 
THURSDAY.

TEXT:  THE HEAD OF THE SOUTH KOREAN DELEGATION -- YANG YOUNG-SHIK
-- TOLD REPORTERS AFTER THE MEETING THE TALKS WERE DOMINATED BY 
TWO ISSUES.  HE SAYS THEY NOT ONLY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF DIVIDED
FAMILIES, BUT ALSO LAST WEEK'S NAVAL CLASH, IN WHICH THE SOUTH 
SANK A NORTH KOREAN GUN BOAT.

MILLIONS OF KOREANS WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES AFTER THE 
PARTITION OF THE PENINSULA IN 1945 AND THE KOREAN WAR, WHICH 
ENDED EIGHT YEARS LATER.  THE REUNION OF FAMILIES IS A PRIORITY 
FOR SEOUL, BECAUSE MANY OF THE FAMILIES INVOLVED ARE ELDERLY.

AT THE LAST NORTH-SOUTH SERIES OF MEETING, 14 MONTHS AGO, THE 
NORTH REFUSED TO DISCUSS THE FAMILY REUNION ISSUE.  SOUTH KOREA 
ENTICED PYONGYANG BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE BY PROMISING TO 
DELIVER 200 THOUSAND TONS OF FERTILIZER TO THE FAMINE-STRICKEN 
COMMUNIST STATE.  HALF OF THAT SHIPMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN 
DELIVERED.  SEOUL HAS PROMISED THE OTHER HALF BY THE END OF JULY,
IF THE BEIJING TALKS LEAD TO PROGRESS.

MR. YANG -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER -- SAYS HE HOPES SUCH
PROGRESS WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

              /////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////

         WE HAVE LAID ON THE TABLE A SPECIFIC PLAN TO COME TO A 
         RESOLUTION OF THE SEPARATED-FAMILY ISSUE AND WE URGE THE
         NORTH TO DISCUSS AND ALSO AGREE ON THIS MATTER.

              /////END ACTUALITY/////

MR. YANG SAYS HIS NORTH KOREAN COUNTERPART -- PAK YONG-SU --TOLD 
HIM NORTH KOREA INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO
SIDES EARLIER THIS MONTH TO MAKE THE SEPARATED-FAMILY ISSUE THE 
FOCUS OF THE BEIJING TALKS.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG IS UNDER FIRE AT HOME FOR HIS
POLICY OF ENGAGING NORTH KOREA.  DIPLOMATS SAY HE NEEDS TO SHOW 
SEOUL CAN OBTAIN CONCRETE RESULTS ON REUNITING FAMILIES. 

THE TALKS GOT UNDERWAY LAST TUESDAY, BUT BROKE UP AFTER 90 
MINUTES WHEN NORTH KOREA DEMANDED AN APOLOGY FOR THE SINKING OF 
ITS GUN BOAT.  TENSIONS GREW FURTHER THIS WEEK WHEN NORTH KOREA 
DETAINED A SOUTH KOREAN TOURIST AND ACCUSED HER OF TRYING TO 
TEMPT NORTHERNERS TO DEFECT.  PYONGYANG RELEASED THE TOURIST 
FRIDAY, IN WHAT DIPLOMATS SAW AS A CONCILIATORY MOVE.  (SIGNED)

NEB / RW / WD / WD

26-Jun-99 7:27 AM EDT (1127 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.