North and South Korea discussed reducing tension but didn’t announce any detailed agreements after military talks on Tuesday, while the United States detected renewed activity at a North Korean missile factory, casting more suspicion over the North’s intentions.
The meeting, the second since June and held in the border village of Panmunjom, was designed to follow on from a summit in April.
Generals from the two Koreas exchanged views on a possible cut in firearms and personnel to “demilitarise” the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ), as well as joint excavation within the area of the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War.
They also discussed ways to turn the skirmish-prone West Sea by ceasing firing exercises and withdrawing artillery along the shore, according to South Korea’s Defence Ministry.
Also, on Monday, a senior U.S. official said that U.S. spy satellites had detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. Photos and infrared imaging indicate vehicles moving in and out of the facility at Sanumdong, but do not show how advanced any missile construction might be, said the official.