朝韩对话达协议缓解紧张局势

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　　In exchange, the North will end its "semi-state of war."

　　Seoul restarted its anti-Pyongyang broadcasts last week after a landmine² injured two of its soldiers on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone earlier this month.

　　The South's lead negotiator Kim Kwan-Jin says the North has agreed to "express regret" over the incident.

　　"North Korea expressed regret over a recent landmine incident in the South's side of Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that wounded the South's soldiers. South Korea agreed to halt anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts along the MDL from 12:00 noon local time on August 25. North Korea agreed to end the quasi state of war."

　　朝韩对话达协议缓解紧张局势

　　At the same time, Kim Kwan-Jin says their talks at the Panmunjom Peace Village inside the DMZ has also seen the two sides agree to a resumption of family reunions for those separated by the armistace over 60-years ago.

　　"South and North Korea agreed to arrange reunions for separated families on upcoming Thanksgiving Day and have meeting with the Red Cross for this in early September. South and North Korea agreed to vitalize private interchange in various fields."

　　There are also plans for follow-up talks to discuss other issues on improving ties.

　　Tensions on the Korean peninsula were cranked up after a mine blast in the demilitarized zone injured two South Korean soldiers on August 4th.

　　This prompted the South to resume its anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts after an 11-year hiatus.

　　But the North has denied having planted the mines.

　　It also denied shelling South Korea last week - an incident that prompted artillery³ fire from the South.

　　Pyongyang announced a "semi-state of war" last week after the exchange.

　　The South Korean Defense⁴ Ministry⁵ says the North had doubled its artillery forces on the front lines and mobilized it submarine fleet as well.

　　The South had been warning it would "retaliate⁶ harshly" to any further North Korean provocations⁷.

　　About 4-thouasnd residents were also evacuated⁸ from border areas in South Korea last week.

　　Meanwhile, the US State Department says it is closely watching developments in the region.

　　US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby.

　　"Obviously, it was a very tense several days and we're mindful of that. And again, we welcome this agreement, but now it's up to the North to act and not simply just, you know, make assurances with respect to their own military activities there along the border, so we're going to see how this -- how it plays out."

　　The two Koreas remain technically⁹ at war, with the 1950 to 1953 Korean War ending in an armistice¹⁰, not a peace treaty.

　　For Cri I'm Poornima Weerasekara

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