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| South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at a makeshift table on a wooden bridge during their summit meeting at the truce village of Panmunjeom, Friday, in this photo provided by Yonhap News TV. / Joint press corps |
By Lee Min-hyung
The two Koreas will designate a disputed western sea border as a "Peace Zone" to ease maritime military tensions, they said in a joint agreement on the sidelines of the inter-Korean summit, Friday.
The area, better known as the northern limit line (NLL) here, has for decades been a controversial maritime border, with the North occasionally staging attacks against South Korean ships.
"The South and North reached an agreement to draw up a series of practical measures to guarantee safe fishing activities by both sides there, by designating the area around the NLL as a peace zone," the inter-Korean joint agreement said.
This is not the first time that the two Koreas have signed a peace agreement on the area.
In 2007, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to make the NLL a peace zone during a summit between former late President Roh Moo-hyun and his then-North Korean counterpart, the late Kim Jong-il.
But the peace momentum did not last long, with the regime staging a series of military attacks in 2010.
In March of that year, the regime torpedoed the South Korean frigate Cheonan near the NLL, leaving 46 sailors dead or missing.
In November, the North fired shells at the South's Yeonpyeong Island, leaving two marines and two civilians dead, and injuring 16.
The two Koreas have yet to release details over the peace zone, but agreed to create measures to prevent accidental military confrontations and ensure safe fishing for both sides.
Seoul and Pyongyang also agreed to hold generals' military talks sometime next month to narrow their differences on some pending security and military issues. But the exact timeline for the long-awaited military dialogue has yet to be confirmed.
"The South and North reached a consensus to hold as many military talks as possible ― including defense minister-level talks ― in a move to resolve inter-Korean military conflicts without delay," said the agreement. "The first step toward the move is military talks between generals."
The agreement noted that the decision came under the bilateral goal of relieving inter-Korean military tension and resolving potential risks of war.
They also pledged to stop staging non-military provocations against each other.
"The South and North will put a complete end to any hostile activities from every corner of each country ― including land, sea and air ― which can lead to possible military collisions," the agreement said.
"As of May 1, both sides will stop any provocative activities near the military demarcation line. They include propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and exchanges of propaganda leaflets," it said.
This comes as part of bilateral efforts to transform the area into another peace zone, according to the agreement.
Both sides also agreed to take appropriate measures on the military side to build lasting peace on the peninsula and activate inter-Korean exchanges.
