OPINION:
North Korea proposes talks with its South Korean counterpart to be held on Nov. 26th at the Truce Village facility, Panmunjeom in the DMZ, according to the North’s official news agency, KCNA. South Korea has accepted the invitation, affirmed the South Korean Unification Ministry. The discussions will be the first since August when the two sides agreed to reduce tensions after a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone injured two South Korean soldiers. The North apologized after the incident in a rare show of rationality.
The talks appear to be low-level, preliminary discussions with higher-level meetings to follow.
In October, following the agreement in August, Korean families separated since the 1950s after the armistice was signed, were allowed to visit for the first time in an emotional reunion.
On Aug. 25th, after a the landmine explosion, both sides exchanged artillery fire which ended in a standoff.
NBC News reports on comments from John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul, “Now we’re back on again, the game’s afoot,” adding the proposal for working-level talks would ease the way for the two sides to get on with discussions.
“Sometimes these talks break down before they even start over what level to send, so this sounds like a very pragmatic and straightforward approach,” he added.
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