Family reunion talks to be held

South Korea's chief delegate Suh Ho shakes hands with his North Korean counterpart Park Chol-su before working-level talks in Gaeseong, Wednesday. After failing to agree on detailed measures to reopen a joint industrial complex in the North's border city, the two sides will meet again on Monday to resolve their differences. / Yonhap

By Chung Min-uck, Kim Tae-gyu

North Korea proposed Wednesday holding three meetings next week to discuss relevant issues with South Korean representatives regarding the joint Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC), Mt. Geumgang tourism and the reunion of family members separated by the Korean War (1950-53).

Pyongyang wants to discuss the GIC on July 15, the tourism project on the 17th and the reunions on the 19th.

Seoul made a counteroffer of meeting at the truce village of Panmunjeom to talk about family reunions but linked the tourism issue to the opening of the GIC in the North's border town.

"Through the hotline at Panmunjeom, Pyongyang offered consecutive working-level meetings at either Gaeseong or Mt. Geumgang to discuss resuming tours to Geumgang and the reunions of separated families," Ministry of Unification spokesman Kim Hyung-suk said.

"We accepted the dialogue for reunions. But at a time when the two countries are working on reopening the GIC, we think we had better concentrate on this first and then Mt. Geumgang."

Pyongyang has yet to respond to the counteroffer but the two sides are expected to hold talks on the family meetings as they have tentatively agreed on reviving the humanitarian event that last took place over three years ago.

If the two sides reach a full agreement, reunions can be expected in time for Chuseok, the country's Thanksgiving Holiday that falls on Sept. 19 this year ― the first time since November, 2010.

"The atmosphere is good. The North is predicted to accept the counteroffer and family reunions are likely to happen this autumn," Kim said. "With regard to tours of Mt. Geumgang, the GIC should be normalized before we move on to this issue."

Trips to Geumgang were suspended after a South Korean tourist was shot and killed by a North Korean soldier there in 2008.

Meanwhile, the cross-border talks on the GIC, Wednesday, did not produce concrete results after Seoul demanded Pyongyang guarantee that it would not unilaterally close the joint complex again.

In response, the North called for the resumption of operations at the complex immediately without conditions in the negotiations held at Gaeseong.

The two sides ended the talks without reaching an agreement. The next round will take place next Monday ― also in Gaeseong ― said the ministry.

The talks were a follow-up to those conducted over the weekend where the two sides agreed in principle to normalize operations at the joint venture.

Suh Ho, a ministry official who led the negotiation team, said in the keynote speech in the morning session, "For Gaeseong to grow, it must become a safe place to do business where free business activities are guaranteed," according to the ministry.

He also urged the North to admit its responsibility for the shut-down of the complex.

As an option for guarantees the North can provide, the South Korean delegate argued that the joint complex must be internationalized so that foreign companies can invest there and run companies.

In response, the North refused to take the blame for the suspension of operations and called for both sides to respect the spirit of the 2000 inter-Korean summit that laid the foundation for the complex to be created, according to the ministry.

The North said the two sides should stop taking actions that affect the operations at the complex immediately so that work can resume there as soon as possible.

North Korea's delegation was led by Park Chol-su of the General Bureau for Central Guidance to the Development of the Special Zone.

Before leaving for the North Korean border city earlier in the day, Suh said the aim of the talks was to reach an understanding based on common sense and international business standards.

"Only by following such guidelines can there be development at the Gaeseong complex," he said. "Every effort will be made to use the talks as a means to build trust and cooperation."

The 23-member southern delegation crossed the demilitarized zone Wednesday morning.

Officials said that additional talks were necessary since the sides had a hard time narrowing down differences on how and when to resume operations at the complex.

All operations at the GIC came to a halt after Pyongyang unilaterally withdrew its 53,000 workers hired by 123 South Korean plants there on April 9. Seoul countered the North's move by pulling out all of its personnel on May 3.

The complex, which started churning out products in late 2004, was created as a result of the 2000 summit meeting between the late President Kim Dae-jung and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

In line with the working-level negotiations, 59 businessmen who run factories in the city, along with 36 support personnel from state-run utility companies and the Gaeseong Industrial District Management Committee, crossed the border to check production facilities.

Based on the deal reached Sunday, they will inspect facilities and bring back an inventory of finished goods and raw materials.

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