By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
North and South Korea ended three-day, general-level military talks Thursday without any resolve. The dispute covered matters of a sea border and both sides were unable to bridge the divide.
Col. Moon Song-muk of South Korea said after the talks, at the truce village of Panmunjeom, that the difference on the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and common fishery zone was so big that it was hard to continue the discussion.
The NLL is a de facto maritime border between the two Koreas but has been disputed for decades.
The North defined the current NLL as an ``illegal line,'' drawn by unilaterally the United Nations at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, and was ready to break the talks unless the two sides change the line.
North Korea's chief delegate, Lt. Gen. Kim Yong-chol said, ``We've come to the conclusion that we don't need these fruitless talks any more.''
Regarding the common fishery zone, the South wanted the area to stretch to both sides of Koreas' sea, with a baseline of the NLL. However, the North was steadfast against the idea, taking preference to the zone below the NLL.
The South also suggested that military safety guarantees are made for the inter-Korean railway and road while the North said they can't discuss those issues before the issues of the NLL and common fishery zone are resolved.
Maj. Gen. Jung Seung-jo, head of the South Korean delegation, said that it is highly regrettable that the North continues to claim the redrawing of the NLL despite the fact that it is fully aware that the South can't claim it.
The military talks were designed to discuss ways to prevent maritime clashes and other security issues. Six South Koreans were killed in a clash in June 2002 and a military skirmish killed dozens of North Korean sailors in June 1999.
The two sides, which have undergone six rounds of general-level military talks, failed to make any headway and dates for future discussions are unlikely.