Talks to resumeSEOUL: The rival Koreas held their first talks since a deadly attack on a South Korean island last year amid signs of a thaw in tensions as momentum builds for a resumption of aid-for-disarmament negotiations. Tuesday's preliminary military talks clear one of the roadblocks to a possible resumption of six-way talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear-weapons programme, last held more than two years ago when the North walked out. But analysts remained sceptical about Pyongyang's motives to restart nuclear talks, saying it has reneged on past promises and instead used the funds from donor countries to develop its nuclear programme. After doling out billions of dollars to its destitute neighbour over two decades, Seoul now insists it will only send aid once the North totally dismantles its atomic programme. “When they (North Korea) need something, which usually means money, they first drive tensions high, then switch to the charm offensive and start talks in order to get something,” said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul. “If they do not get what they need, they turn the switch back to the confrontational mood.” The two sides failed to reach an agreement Tuesday, and will resume negotiations Wednesday about arranging a senior-level meeting, the defence ministry in Seoul said. Under pressure from the United States and China, host of the six-party talks, the neighbours have toned down their combative rhetoric over the past month and agreed to bilateral talks. North Korean Colonel Ri Son-kwon patted his counterpart from the South, Col. Moon Sang-gyun, on the shoulder and they shook hands before they started negotiations at the Panmunjom truce village. The pair have met several times over the years. The meeting was the first between the rivals since November, when the North bombarded the island of Yeonpyeong in disputed waters off the west coast, killing four people. The two sides met for some nine hours Tuesday. The South's defense ministry said it had requested information about last year's attack against Yeonpyeong as well as the torpedoing of one of its navy ships last March.
