South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Friday to hold working-level talks early next week to schedule the joint survey of roads across the inter-Korean border, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.
Lee Eugene, deputy spokesperson of the Unification Ministry, told a regular press briefing that the second round of joint road research meeting will be held on Monday at the inter-Korean liaison office in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong.
During the meeting, the two sides would discuss the schedule to conduct a joint survey of roads along the eastern Korean Peninsula and other various issues, the deputy spokesperson said.
South Korean and DPRK officials attend the opening ceremony of a joint liaison office for the two Koreas in Kaesong, DPRK, September 14, 2018. /VCG Photo
The first round of the meeting was held on August 13, and the joint research group of the two Koreas surveyed roads along the western peninsula from Kaesong to Pyongyang, the DPRK's capital city, for seven days.
Lee said South Korea will closely consult with the US side and the United Nations Command on the issue.
South Korea and the DPRK were originally scheduled to conduct a joint field survey of railways across the border in late October, but it had yet to be launched because of the US stance that the improvement of inter-Korean ties should proceed at the same pace as the denuclearization talks.
The deputy spokesperson said South Korea will continue to consult with the DPRK on the joint road research issues to faithfully implement the agreement reached by the two Koreas.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in (L) and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un attend a luncheon in Pyongyang, the DPRK, September 19, 2018. /VCG Photo
South Korean unification minister to visit US
South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will visit the United States next week for talks about the Korean Peninsula affairs, local media reports said Friday citing the Unification Ministry.
Cho, the country's top policymaker on inter-Korean cooperation, will visit Washington DC and New York on November 13-17 to attend a forum there and meet with US administration officials and congressmen.
During the meetings, Cho would discuss ways to improve inter-Korean relations and build peace on the peninsula.
South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (R) talks with Chairman of the DPRK Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country Ri Son-Gwon (front) during their inter-Korean high-level talks at the southern part of the truce village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, October 15, 2018. /VCG Photo
Local media said Cho was expected to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to exchange opinions on the delayed high-level talks between the DPRK and the US.
The senior-level DPRK-US dialogue was originally scheduled for Thursday in New York, but it was postponed to an unspecified date.
Cho was forecast to ask US government officials and lawmakers to understand South Korea's position that improved inter-Korean relations could help denuclearize the peninsula.
(Cover: Tourists look across the border at the DPRK from Paju, South Korea, September 26, 2018. /VCG Photo)