ROK to hold working-level discussion with DPRK on offering antiviral medication

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) will hold a working-level discussion with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) later this week on providing antiviral medication, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.

Baik Tae-hyun, unification ministry spokesman, told a press briefing that Tamiflu, the antiviral medication, and early detection kits would be offered to the DPRK, noting that a working-level discussion would be made this week through the exchange of letters.

It came after the two Koreas held working-level talks earlier this month on healthcare cooperation. During the talks, the two sides agreed to cooperate on sharing influenza-related information and data on infectious diseases.

The ROK held a working-group meeting in Seoul last week with the US side, during which the ROK gained support from the United States for the humanitarian assistance to the DPRK, according to local media reports.

Regarding the video reunions of the Korean families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, Baik said Seoul planned to push for the video reunions early next year through further discussions.

For the video reunions, communications equipment and other devices should be moved to the DPRK, requiring the exemption of international sanctions on Pyongyang.

Seoul and Washington reportedly were under discussion on the sanction exemption.

The two Koreas held face-to-face family reunions in August at Mount Kumgang in southeast of the DPRK.

Families of the two Koreas have been banned from meeting and contacting each other since the Korean War ended with armistice. The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war with the armistice.