Asia-Pacific

DPRK proposes talks with ROK on detained citizens

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-30 21:36

PYONGYANG- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday proposed talks with the Republic of Korea (ROK) over the four DPRK fishermen detained in the South.

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DPRK's Red Cross society proposed a working contact to confirm the intentions of the four people in a face-to-face meeting, hoping to have them repatriated at an early date, the official news agency KCNA reported.

The meeting is planned at the conference room of the former Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission at Panmunjom at 10 am on April 6.

The ROK said earlier that it would be possible for the DPRK side to directly meet the four people if the remaining 27 detainees were sent back.

On February 5, 31 DPRK fishermen became lost in thick fog when fishing at sea, and mistakenly drifted to the ROK waters.

After being detained by ROK authorities for more than one month, 27 were sent home on March 27, but the ROK said the remaining four had "defected" and would not return.