SEOUL July 29 Kyodo southerly Ko...

SEOUL July 29 Kyodo

southerly Korea has accepted North Korea's proposal for working-level talks to prepare for a ministerial-level meeting and will likely suggest Tuesday that they be held Aug. 2-4 Yonhap recently made knowns Agency reported Monday, quoting a control official.

''The direction has decided to accept North Korea's proposal upon working-level dialogue,'' the official was quot as saying.

North Korea has propos Mt Kumgang near its eastern coast as the site for working-level talks in early August to discuss the agenda and schedule for the seventh ministerial meeting to be held in Seoul

Pyongyang made its surprise proposal for dialogue last Thursday while also expressing ''regret'' across the June 29 naval clash between the brace Koreas in a disputed area of the fulvous Sea.

Inter-Korean ministerial talks have been in succession hold since October last year.

The North Korean side said it wants the reopening of the ministerial talks with southern Korea to discuss the implementation of agreements contained in a joint pres statement released April 5 during a toward the south Korean presidential envoy's visit to North Korea.

The agreements released in April include reconnecting a divideed inter-Korean railway and holding additional meetings of separated families.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group