INTER-KOREAN HIGH-RANKING EMERGENCY CONTACT HELD

The inter-Korean high-ranking emergency contact was held at Panmunjom on August 22-24 attracting, public attention within and without. Present there were Vice-Marshal Hwang Pyong So of the Korean People’s Army, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, vicechairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA and, and Kim Yang Gon, member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and secretary of the WPK Central Committee from the north side; and Kim Kwan Jin, chief of the State Security Office of the Blue House, and Hong Yong Phyo, minister of Unification, from the south side. Both sides held a serious discussion on the principled matters that arise in preventing military confrontation and conflict and promoting mutual relations, and issued the following joint press release:

JOINT PRESS RELEASE OF THE INTER-KOREAN HIGH-RANKING

Emergency Contact The inter-Korean high-ranking emergency contact ran from August 22 to 24, 2015, at Panmunjom. It was attended by Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, and Kim Yang Gon, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea from the north side; and Kim Kwan Jin, chief of the State Security Office of the Blue House, and Hong Yong Phyo, minister of Unification, from the south side. Both sides deliberated upon the issues for removing the acute military tension between the north and the south and developing bilateral relations and reached the following agreement:

1. North and south agreed to hold authority-to-authority talks to improve bilateral relations in Pyongyang or Seoul at the earliest date possible and conduct multi-channeled dialogue and negotiations in the future.

2. The north side expressed its regret that south Korean soldiers had been injured by the recent mine explosions in the southern part of the demilitarized zone along the Military Demarcation Line.

3. As long as an abnormal situation does not occur, the south side shall stop all its loudspeaker broadcasting in the areas along the MDL from 12:00 on August 25.

4. At the same time the north side shall lift the semi-state of war.

5. Both sides reached a consensus of opinion on holding a meeting of separated families and their relatives on the occasion of the forthcoming Harvest Moon Day and continuing such meetings, and holding Red-Cross working contact in early September to this end.

6. Both sides agreed to activate civil exchanges in different fields.

August 24, 2015 Panmunjom