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The government has decided to leave discussion of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border with North Korea in the West Sea, off the agenda when President Roh Moo-hyun meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in October. If North Korea, which wants the NLL redrawn, raises the issue as expected, the government will propose that the two sides¡¯ defense ministers discuss it as part of talks on easing tensions in other border areas like the Demilitarized Zone.
A government source said Monday that the government made the decision at a recent security policy coordination meeting of concerned ministers, as protests against including the issue in the agenda of the inter-Korean summit has heated up.
Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung has hinted that readjustment of the NLL could be included in the agenda, leading to concern of a security vacuum if the issue is seen to be up for discussion. But now the government, in an attempt to prevent further clashes between ministries, reiterated that it regards the NLL as the de facto maritime border and will adhere to the 1992 inter-Korean Basic Agreement on the matter, the source said. The clarification comes after conflicting statements from the ministries of defense and unification.
The 1992 Basic Agreement and appendix recognize the NLL as the sea border between the two Koreas by stipulating that the two ¡°will continue to discuss¡± maritime non-aggression zones ¡°identical¡± with the ones that have been under the jurisdiction of both sides. The NLL was drawn in August 1953 by the commander of the U.S.-led UN forces to prevent accidental military clashes between the two Koreas and to maintain the armistice. However, there have been two inter-Korean military clashes in the West Sea, in 1999 and 2002.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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