North and South Korea have resumed top-level talks to defuse a border stand-off, officials from the South say on Sunday.
A first day of talks continued into Saturday night before adjourning. No details of progress have emerged. Senior aides to the two countries’ leaders are meeting at the Panmunjom truce village on the border.
The talks started before a deadline set by North Korea for the South to stop broadcasting anti-communist propaganda across the border by loudspeaker. Pyongyang had threatened to open fire if Seoul failed to comply.
Saturday’s talks adjourned shortly before dawn, having lasted 10 hours.
The very fact they have talked so long may give some hope of defusing the current highly-armed stand-off.
Optimists also draw slight hope from the North Korean use of the proper title for South Korea – Republic of Korea – rather than terms like “war-maniac puppet of the United States” which was used by North Korean state media a few days ago.
While the talks continue, both sides remain poised for aggression. All the same, the tense atmosphere has eased slightly, at least for the moment.