South Korea proposed today to formally open cross-border railways in a phased manner and to resume defense chiefs' talks as soon as possible to ease military tension on the second day of inter-Korean ministerial talks, REPORTED THE North Korean news agency Yonhap. In a keynote speech to the plenary session, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung also offered to resolve the humanitarian issue of prisoners of war (POWs) and abductees believed to be held by North Korea as well as to expand inter-Korean economic cooperation. "We also urged the North to implement the Feb. 13 agreement immediately and proposed to conduct state-run centers' joint studies to create a road map for peace and economic cooperation on the Korean Peninsula," said Ko Gyoung-bin, spokesman for the negotiating team. -- SPA
