North and South Korea edge away from war with peace deal
AP: The senior diplomats posed for photos after the agreement was reached
North and South Korea edge away from war with peace deal
TENSIONS between North and South Korea could finally be starting to thaw after both sides reached an agreement this evening following more than two days of talks.
The rapprochement comes after an exchange of artillery fire last week pushed both nations to the brink of war.
Under the deal, the South has agreed to stop broadcasting anti-Pyongyang messages from loudspeakers near the border.
In return, North Korea expressed regret over the recent wounding of South Korean soldiers in a landmine explosion and agreed to end the "quasi state of war".
The two sides will hold follow-up talks to discuss a range of issues on improving ties, a joint statement by the two countries said.
Kim Kwan-jin, national security adviser to the South Korean president, said: "It is very meaningful that from this meeting North Korea apologised for the landmine provocation and promised to work to prevent the recurrence of such events and ease tensions."
Seoul and Pyongyang remain technically in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
The latest escalation in tensions was triggered earlier this month when a landmine explosion in the demilitarised zone injured two South Korean soldiers.
The South then began blasting propaganda from speakers along the border, prompting the North to fire four shells.
In response, South Korea fired a barrage of artillery shells.
Remarkably, neither side reported casualties.
North and South Korea edge away from war with peace deal
TENSIONS between North and South Korea could finally be starting to thaw after both sides reached an agreement this evening following more than two days of talks.
Under the deal, the South has agreed to stop broadcasting anti-Pyongyang messages from loudspeakers near the border.
In return, North Korea expressed regret over the recent wounding of South Korean soldiers in a landmine explosion and agreed to end the "quasi state of war".
The two sides will hold follow-up talks to discuss a range of issues on improving ties, a joint statement by the two countries said.
Kim Kwan-jin, national security adviser to the South Korean president, said: "It is very meaningful that from this meeting North Korea apologised for the landmine provocation and promised to work to prevent the recurrence of such events and ease tensions."
Seoul and Pyongyang remain technically in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
The latest escalation in tensions was triggered earlier this month when a landmine explosion in the demilitarised zone injured two South Korean soldiers.
The South then began blasting propaganda from speakers along the border, prompting the North to fire four shells.
In response, South Korea fired a barrage of artillery shells.
Remarkably, neither side reported casualties.
AP: South Korean army soldiers ride on a truck in Paju,
The landmine blast and this past week's shelling were the most serious security incidents at the border since Kim Jong-un came to power after the death of his father Kim Jong-il in 2011.
Seoul's Defence Ministry said around 70 per cent of the North's more than 70 submarines vehicles had left their bases and were undetectable by the South Korean military on Saturday.
In Pyongyang, North Korean state media claimed that more than one million young people have volunteered to join or rejoin the military to defend their country should a conflict break out.
The latest marathon talks have been the highest-level discussions between the two Koreas in a year.
However, the South Korean envoy to the North said "now was not the time" to discuss a further official summit meeting between the two nations.
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