By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter
The U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) proposed North Korea a plan Friday to conduct a joint assessment of the sinking of South Korea’s ship, Cheonan, in March in the West Sea, the command said.
The proposal was made during their colonel-level military talks at the truce village of Panmunjeom, the third of its kind this month, it said in a statement.
Both sides agreed to hold a new round of meetings July 29 to discuss the issue, it said.
A Seoul-led multinational investigation team concluded in May that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine brought down the Cheonan, killing 46 sailors.
North Korea has denied any involvement in the incident and instead demanded its team of inspectors be allowed to visit Seoul to verify findings presented by South Korea.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) earlier this month condemned the attack on the Cheonan without identifying who’s responsible for the naval disaster.
“Seeking to comply with the UNSC president’s intent, UNC Military Armistice Commission proposed to convene a Joint Assessment Group (JAG) to assess the cause of the armistice violations that led to the sinking of the ROK ship Cheonan,” the statement said. “The two sides exchanged ideas and further details for convening a JAG in accordance with the Armistice Agreement.”
The meeting adjourned with both sides agreeing to study the proposals presented, after which UNC closed the meeting by notifying the North of the upcoming Combined Forces Command exercise, Ulchi Freedom Guardian, as a confidence building measure, it said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Wednesday a set of new financial sanctions against the North to punish it for the March sinking of the South Korean frigate, Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors.
In a show of force against a North Korean provocation, South Korea and the U.S. will kick off four days of major maritime and air readiness drills Sunday in waters off the country’s eastern coast.
North Korea, which denies any involvement in the sinking, warned that the moves pose “grave” threats to the Korean Peninsula and the region.