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2 Koreas hold high-level talks; 1st in 2 yrs
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-22 15:39

2 Koreas hold high-level talks; 1st in 2 yrs
Seoul's Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek (R) and Kim Yang Gon, Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of DPRK pose before their meeting at a hotel in Seoul August 22, 2009. [Agencies]

SEOUL: Pyongyang and Seoul officials in charge of inter-Korean relations held talks Saturday for the first time in nearly two years amid a series of conciliatory moves by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after months of tensions on the divided peninsula.

Unification Minister Hyun In-taek met visiting DPRK official Kim Yang Gon, who handles inter-Korean matters, ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said. She said the meeting lasted about 80 minutes, but had no further details.

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The Pyongyang officials expressed a desire to meet South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and were carrying a letter from DPRK leader Kim Jong-il, the South's Yonhap news agency reported.

Yonhap, which cited a source it did not identify, said Hyun was communicating with Lee's office about a meeting.

The president's office said only that senior officials were discussing the contents of the meeting between Hyun and Kim.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said he had no information.

The Pyongyang officials were scheduled to return home later Saturday, though the timing could be delayed, said Hyun. The delay fueled speculation that a meeting with Lee may occur.

Asked whether the delegation would deliver a letter from the DPRK leader, Hyun said he could not comment.

The last time officials responsible for inter-Korean affairs met was for several days from late November to early December of 2007 during the administration of President Roh Moo-hyun.

The talks came a day after Kim and five other senior DPRK officials flew to Seoul to pay their respects to the late Kim Dae-jung, a former South Korean president beloved on both sides of the border for his pursuit of closer ties between the divided states.

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