Inter-Korean Talks Come to Rupture

The South and North Korean ministerial talks finally ruptured because of delay of aid rice shipment to the North.

"There will be no further contact between South and North and we will have a meeting to close the talks," said spokesman Kim Nam-sik of the Unification Ministry. "Now we are discussing to decide on timing to have a meeting to end the talks."

The two sides are also reported to fail in producing a joint statement and setting the date for next talks.

This is the third time that the ministerial talks have failed to issue a joint statement, following the 19th talks last year and the sixth in November, 20001.This is the 21st .

As a result, the inter-Korean relations may be frozen till progress is made on implementation of the February 13 agreement on North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

The two sides failed in narrowing differences for resumption of the talks at a contact of chief delegates Friday morning as the North strongly demanded rice shipment to the impoverished North Korea first.

The North delegates are to depart from the Incheon International Airport at 3:50 for Pyongyang but departure is uncertain because of ruptured talks.