2010-09-16 10:44

SEOUL - The US-led United Nations Command and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) began Thursday the fifth round of working-level talks over the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.

The two sides met in the truce village of Panmunjum for the latest round of talks aimed at preparing for a general-level meeting on the fatal sinking blamed on the DPRK's torpedo attack. Previous talks made little progress as Pyongyang repeatedly denied its role in the sinking, which killed 46 South Korean sailors.

As part of a trust-building measure, the command and the DPRK have held 16 general-level talks since 1998, and the latest round was held in March 2009.