In an attempt to revive high-level talks and secure more aid, North Korea is expected to take a conciliatory tone when it meets with South Korea for the countries’ first dialogue since the attacks on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong island, an expert notes.
“The North will try hard to pass through this preliminary stage to achieve higher-level talks,” Choi Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification said, according to the Korea Times. “They are very desperate to gain economic aid, particularly food aid. In order to do this they may make a flexible gesture regarding the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong incidents.”
The talks began at 10 a.m. local time on Feb. 8 in Panmunjom, a village in the de facto border between North and South Korea, according to The Australian. The meeting aims to set the venue, agenda and date of a high-level dialogue possibly between the countries’ defense ministers.
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