Korea Times
Yoon Won-sup
11/16/2007
The prime ministers of the two Koreas have agreed to set up Internet, wire and mobile phone services including mobile phones in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea.
They also agreed to allow free movement of people and vehicles of the South in the complex starting next month in order to expand inter-Korean economic cooperation.
The agreement was made between Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong-il Friday.
The rare talks between the prime ministers, the first in 15 years, went smoothly.
The North Korean delegates were very favorable to suggestions made during the three-day talks in Seoul, according to sources.
Particularly, Han and Kim took a stroll together in the morning and toasted each other with soju at dinner, Thursday, boasting of their friendship.
President Roh Moo-hyun hosted a lunch for the delegations, Friday, and thanked them for reaching an agreement. The North Korean delegates returned to Pyonyang by plane afterwards.
The two prime ministers issued a joint statement after the talks, which were aimed to follow up agreements reached at the second inter-Korean summit held in Pyongyang from Oct. 2-4.
They agreed to create a committee for a special zone of peace and cooperation in the West Sea coastal area under which five subcommittees will be set up to deal with an economic zone in Haeju, North Korea; the common use of Haeju port and the southern part of the Han River estuary in South Korea; the safe passage of private ships near Haeju; and a common fishing area in the West Sea.
The first committee meeting, chaired by a minister-level official, will be held in Gaeseong next month.
They also agreed to have a premier-level meeting and vice premier-level economic cooperation committee’s meeting every six months, one in Pyongyang in the first half of 2008 and the other in Seoul.
A cross-border freight and cargo railway linking Munsan in the South and Bongdong in the North will start operation from Dec. 11.
Working-level talks will be held in Gaeseong for two days from Tuesday to finalize the agreement on the cross-border train service, according to the statement.
As part of reconciliation measures, South Korea will help North Korea repair the Gaeseong-Sinuiju railway and Gaeseong-Pyongyang highway in 2008.
Han and Kim agreed to start the construction of shipyards in Anbyeon and Nampo next year.
For family members displaced since the 1950-53 Korean War, the two Koreas will allow exchanges of video calls starting next year and complete the construction of a family reunion center at Mount Geumgang next month.
A series of talks will be held next month to discuss the launch of a tourism program to Mount Baekdu, as well as the use of the North’s Pyongyang-Shinuiju railway to transport a joint supporters group from the two Koreas to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
“The agreement is the first step toward enhancing inter-Korean relations through the virtuous circle of peace and economy,” Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said.
Lee said the joint statement contained implementation measures for the summit accords, except the military measures that guarantee the cooperative plans.
Apparently mindful of the importance of these, he added: “The coming inter-Korean defense ministers’ talks will deal with the implementation.” The military talks are slated for Nov. 27-29 in Pyongyang.
