[imText1]The North and South Korea held the final meeting of the Fifth General Officers Talks on the 11th and adopted five joint reports and the “military security joint agreement” which held the content to cooperate with military security for Kyunghui and East Sea Line experimental operations.

Both sides only agreed on military security for the experimental rail operations on the coming 17th and promised to continue to agree with adoption of a permanent and holistic North-South rail and road military security joint agreement.

Even though this is a one-time event, the train will be running again for the first in 56 years.

In agreeing to the one-time rail test run, North Korea also gained concessions in negotiations setting up a common fishery zone. The rail deal could also end up opening the door to discussions concerning wide ranging economic cooperation in regards to business related to collecting aggregate at the Han River estuary. It could also be a stepping stone to further developments in discussions on reestablishing the maritime Northern Limit Line (NLL).

▲ North Korea, prepares steps for discussing the reestablishment of the NLL = North Korea has insisted on the reestablishment of the NLL and at the last 4th General Officers Talks, it was stubborn on the issue until the end.

The South Korea held the position that it planned to discuss the NLL problem with other military confidence-building issues also included in the North-South basic agreement. It also maintained the position that these issues have to be discussed at high-level talks such as the Ministerial Talks, not the General Officers talks.

The North, however, brought up the NLL-reestablishment issue again at the 5th round of talks, mainly focusing on possible material gains, as well as creating measures to prevent military collisions in the West Sea (an issue it had not even wanted to discuss until now).

Finally, on the collective reports, North and South Korea kindled criticisms that will be subsequently raised by the reestablishment of the NLL according to whether or not material gains are realized and means to prevent West Sea collisions.

Previously, North Korea had simply stated it wanted the Northern Limit Line to be neutralized. In the recent talks, the North sought to accomplish the same goal via a secondary route by shifting discussions to the creation of a common fishery zone and measures to prevent tension over collisions similar to ones that have occurred in the past. For example, a clash between North and South Korean military patrol boats in June 2002 left 5 South Korean sailors killed and over 20 wounded. Tension along the maritime border area becomes more acute during the peak fishing season.

▲ The voyage from Inchon to Haeju, can be used to neutralize the West Sea = the North, for the reason of revitalizing its economy, raised the issue of civilian voyage between Haeju and Inchoen. If the direct voyage can be realized, the North Korean vessel will leave the Haeju-port and pass through the front waters of Incheon and Yeonpyongdo to emerge from our side of the West Sea.

The North has requested the direct voyage problem at the third or fourth General Officers talks. If the Haeju-port’s direct voyage becomes actualized, there is a dimension of revitalizing the North-South economy, but it can be a means for North Korea to neutralize the NLL.

Presently, the Sea south of the NLL has not been officially authorized by international law, but has been recognized as South Korean territory through effective management. However, if a North Korean vessel can freely pass through, the principle of effective management can be shattered.

The South expressed disapproval because this can be analyzed as neutralization of the NLL and the North and South agreed to “agree on the Haeju-port direct voyage problem according to military confidence-building setup in the West Sea.”

Accordingly, there is high possibility that the NLL problem will come up as a main issue in the 6th General Officers talks, which will open in July.

▲ North Korea will actively use “military security card” = as a result of this year’s talks, it can be evaluated that North Korea can stand on beneficial ground that can have dominance at future talks with the South.

The North resisted our request for a more permanent military security and adhered to a one-time military security. The analysis can be made that the North has a plan to thoroughly use the “military security” issue at subsequent negotiations. In the case that the South does not show progress regarding the NLL reestablishment problem or economic support, it can always pull out the “military security” card.

Additionally, in the process of discussing the development of the Haeju-port direct voyage route, the common fishery zone and collecting aggregate in the West Sea, the North can actively use “military security” as a card.

▲ North Korea, collects enormous support for military security of the rail experimental operations = Simultaneously, through North Korea’s management of military security issues, the North stands to gain enormous support through increased flexibility on North-South economic cooperation. For example, at the 13th North-South Economic Cooperation Exploratory Committee meetings (Economic Exploratory Committee), which were held in Pyongyang on the 22nd of last month, the South, according to the rail experimental operations and North Korea’s actualization of the February 13th agreement, agreed to provide 40,000 tons of rice ($152,000,000) and light industry raw materials ($800,000,000).

Accordingly, the South will carry out the promised light industry and underground resource cooperative project the middle of next month. 500 tons of polyester filaments for manufacturing clothes and soap, shoes, and clothes will be sent to North Korea on the 27th of next month.

Also, both North and South Korea will carry out joint investigations regarding the Kumduk coal mine, Lyongyang caol mine, and Daeheung coal mine of the Danchoen in south Hamkyung province until the 6th of next month. The North has proposed North-South collective development in oil, coal, petroleum gas, timber, and other natural development areas in the far-east region of Russia.