NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA/USA-STATE U.S. welcomes North, South Korea agreement to ease tensions

Record ID: 142715

  • Title: NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA/USA-STATE U.S. welcomes North, South Korea agreement to ease tensions
  • Date: 24th August 2015
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 24, 2015) (STATE TV) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, JOHN KIRBY, ENTERING BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, JOHN KIRBY, SAYING: "First I want to say the United States welcomes the agreement reached between the Republic of Korea and the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) earlier today. We support President Park's tireless efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, which support peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. We continue to coordinate closely with the ROK (Republic of Korea) and to reiterate our unwavering support for the alliance." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, JOHN KIRBY, SAYING: "Do I think that it will reduce tensions? (Reporter: Yes) Well, that's certainly our hope, but we're going to judge the North by its actions as we always do." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, JOHN KIRBY, SAYING: "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." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, JOHN KIRBY, SAYING: "The ROK has remained pretty resolute in the face of continued North Korean aggressive action and rhetoric, and I don't know that I would characterize anything as 'backing down'. They've been, they've been strong and they've been resolute and we have an iron-clad commitment through an alliance with South Korea to help contribute to peace and security on that peninsula. But this was, as most agreements are, a compromise, and I would point you to the South Koreans to speak to the specific items that they agreed to. What's important here is that the two sides did get together, they did come to an agreement that they both found mutually satisfactory and that's the important thing. And that tensions now, which had been running pretty high over the last several days, have the opportunity to decrease a little bit and take some of the air out of this, and I think obviously we're going to have to see how this plays out. We're going to watch it very closely as we have. But again, I think that they were able to come to agreement is noteworthy, and again, we welcome it." WIDE SHOT KIRBY AND REPORTERS
  • Embargoed: 8th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAEA4ZVO1FL4U8STX97HKA9SX0
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The U.S. welcomed on Monday (August 24) an agreement reached between North and South Korea to end a standoff involving an exchange of artillery fire that had pushed the divided peninsula into a state of heightened military tension.
    "We support (South Korean President) Park's tireless efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, which support peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the daily briefing, adding that he was 'hopeful' it would reduce tensions.
    "But we're going to judge the North by its actions as we always do," he said.
    Under the accord reached after midnight on Tuesday morning (August 25) after more than two days of talks, North Korea expressed regret over the recent wounding of South Korean soldiers in a landmine incident and Seoul agreed to halt anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts, both sides said.
    North Korea also agreed to end the "semi" state of war it had declared. The two sides will hold follow-up talks to discuss a range of issues on improving ties, the joint statement said.
    Pyongyang has previously denied laying the landmines, and in the statement did not explicitly take responsibility for them.
    Asked by a reporter if South Korea had "caved to North Korea's demands" by ceasing the broadcasts, Kirby replied that "the ROK has remained pretty resolute in the face of continued North Korean aggressive action and rhetoric" and that he "wouldn't characterize anything as 'backing down'".
    "What's important here is that the two sides did get together, they did come to an agreement that they both found mutually satisfactory," he added.
    The marathon talks at the Panmunjom truce village inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas began on Saturday (August 22), shortly after Pyongyang's deadline for the South to halt its propaganda broadcasts or face military action.
    Seoul and Pyongyang have remained technically in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean war ended in a truce, rather than a peace treaty, and hopes for improved relations have repeatedly been dashed over the years.
    Inter-Korean relations have been all but frozen since the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship, which killed 46 sailors, that Seoul blames on the North. Pyongyang denies responsibility.
    Under Tuesday's deal, the two sides also agreed to arrange reunions of families separated by the Korean War during upcoming autumn holidays and in future.
    The recent escalation in tensions began early this month, when landmine explosions in the DMZ wounded two South Korean soldiers.
    Days later, the South began blasting anti-Pyongyang propaganda from loudspeakers along the border, reviving a tactic that both sides had halted in 2004.
    The standoff reached a crisis point on Thursday (August 20) when the North fired four shells into the South, according to Seoul, which responded with a barrage of artillery fire.
    Pyongyang then made its ultimatum that Seoul halt the broadcasts by Saturday afternoon or face military action, but on that day the two sides agreed to hold talks between top level aides to the leaders of the two countries.
    Even as talks were ongoing, reclusive North Korea had deployed twice the usual artillery strength at the border and had around 50 submarines away from base, the South's defense ministry said. South Korea had also increased its military readiness.
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