Friday, 14 September, 2001, 14:42 GMT 15:42 UK Koreas prepare to resume talks A North-South rail link is likely to be on the agenda http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1544000/1544687.s tm By BBC Seoul correspondent Caroline Gluck Government ministers from North and South Korea are due to begin four days of talks in Seoul on Saturday, the first official meeting between the two sides in six months. North Korea suspended official dialogue in March, unhappy at the decision by the new Bush administration in Washington to review its ties with Pyongyang. The talks will try to breathe new life into the fragile engagement and will be a welcome boost for South Korean President Kin Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy of engagement with the North. There has been no cross-border dialogue since March A vote earlier this month calling for the dismissal of his top North Korean policy maker, Unification Minister, Lim Dong-Won, was seen as a wider vote of no confidence in his rapprochement policy with the North. The South Korean team will be led by the new Unification Minister, Hong Soong-Young, while the North Korean side is headed by senior cabinet councillor, Kim Ryong-Song, regarded as a moderate. Growing criticism Since last year's historic summit in which the two Korean leaders pledged to work towards reconciliation there've been several meetings between families separated since the division of the peninsula half a century ago and cultural and economic agreement. Lim faces a vote of confidence But there has been growing criticism of the Sunshine Policy in South Korea which many feel has been too one-sided and too costly. There is frustration too that the North has not followed through on previous agreements, including plans to restore severed rail and road links and business exchanges. Both subjects are expected to be discussed during this round of talks. Anti-terrorism declaration President Kim Dae-jung has also suggested that the two sides could produce a joint declaration against terrorism in the wake of this week's attacks in New York and Washington. North Korea still remains on a US list of countries accused of backing terrorism. Officials are cautioning against high expectations from these talks, but the fact that the two sides are meeting at all is itself an important breakthrough after so many months of silence. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
