South and North Korea Agree to New Talks

[Electric Monk]

Source: NYT

(snip)

...a breakthrough appeared to come on Saturday, when top South Korean policy makers met with a North Korean delegation visiting Incheon for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games, a surprise visit that South Korea announced just an hour before the officials’ arrival. The delegation included three of the most trusted aides of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.

During the meeting on Saturday, the two sides agreed to resume a formal dialogue later this month or in early November, the South’s Ministry of Unification said in a statement. “While calling the upcoming talks a second round of dialogue, the North explained that it intended to hold more rounds of South-North talks in the future,” the statement said.

The mention of a “second round” appeared to refer to the last time officials met to discuss the family reunions, in February. Soon after that meeting, hundreds of aging Koreans from both sides were allowed to hold emotional family reunions at a North Korean resort. No further reunions have been held since then.

The North Korean delegation’s visit and the agreement to resume talks were all the more unexpected, given the North’s recent vitriol toward the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye. On Thursday, the North called Ms. Park “a rabid dog” after she vowed that pressing the North to end human rights abuses would be a key goal of her government.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/world/asia/south-and-north-korea-agree-to-resume-high-level-talks.html

[Cartoonist]

1. Does this mean

Kim Jong-un is dead?

[cstanleytech]

2. Some northern official claimed he is alive however being alive doesnt mean he hasnt been

unofficially removed from power.

[Xolodno]

3. There was also this recently....

Russia sees chance of six-party talks on North Korea resuming

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-sees-chance-six-party-talks-north-korea-100543532.html


...and before that

China calls for N. Korea nuclear talks to resume

http://news.yahoo.com/china-calls-n-korea-nuclear-talks-resume-205633144.html

Interesting how there is a sudden swoon of diplomacy. China's vested interest in North Korea used to be to keep capitalist nations at arms length away. But given China's economic reforms...it becomes moot. Now China's main interest is territorial control over disputed areas and with the exception of the US and Russian military, they are the big dog in the area.

Russia's only interest is an island chain which is disputed with Japan. So that leaves only the US protecting its allies (and selling arms to them). Korean unification could be negotiated in terms that give amnesty to human rights violators and to ease China's concern....removal of all US troops from Korea and a demilitarized zone near their shared border. South Korea might agree with this along with a transition plan. Hawks in our government...won't like it one bit.