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S. Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, left, enters with his N. Korean counterpart Kwon Ho Woong, right, for the 14th Cabinet-level talks./ AP
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A high-level delegation from South Korea has arrived in Pyongyang, vowing to press for a softening of North Korea's position in the stand-off over its nuclear development.
The southern delegation is led by Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun. He told reporters before leaving Seoul that he intends to point out to North Korea that progress is essential in the next round of six-party nuclear talks expected next month.
Two previous rounds held in Beijing have produced little. North Korea and the United States have been deadlocked over how and when Pyongyang should be compensated for shutting down all of its nuclear facilities.
The inter-Korean cabinet-level talks that begin Wednesday in Pyongyang also will cover joint projects and transport links.
Meanwhile, an influential South Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, is reporting that U.S. spy satellites have detected new ballistic missiles and mobile launching pads at two new underground bases in North Korea. Chosun says those bases are nearly complete.
There is no confirmation from U.S. or South Korean officials of the Chosun report.
North Korea already has deployed short-range missiles with a range of 1,300 kilometers. In 1998, Pyongyang stunned the region and the world by test-firing a longer range missile over Japan.
Chosun says these new ballistic missiles would have a range of about 4,000 kilometers, which means they would have the capability of hitting U.S. territory in the Pacific.
VOA News
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