zorgje minder
SEOUL—The two Koreas reached an agreement to end a military standoff that had threatened to turn into a major conflict, both sides said Tuesday.
After round-the clock talks that started on Saturday, the two nations issued statements that said North Korea would end its threat to fire artillery at South Korea. Seoul had threatened to respond to any attack with stronger levels of force.
Pyongyang also expressed "regret" for recent mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers, the incident that sparked the standoff.
In return, South Korea said it would suspend the broadcast of anti-Pyongyang regime propaganda from loudspeaker systems on its border. North Korea had threatened to fire at the loudspeakers.
The deal fell short of South Korea's demand for North Korea to apologize for the mine attack earlier this month and for its subsequent firing of shells over the border in protest at the loudspeaker broadcasts.
However, the agreement ended the prospect of an escalation of military action between two nations that often appear to be set for conflict.
"Both sides decided to develop North-South relations and end the military standoff," South Korean National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin said at a press briefing.
South Korea said it would turn off the loudspeaker systems at noon local time on Tuesday. North Korea said in its statement, issued through its state media, that it would end its declared "semi-state of war" after the loudspeakers were turned off.
The broadcasts are particularly sensitive for North Korea because they challenge the information blockade that Pyongyang tries to maintain to prevent any domestic challenges to its dictatorship.
The two sides also said they agreed to further high-level talks in either Pyongyang or Seoul at an unspecified date, as well as hold reunions of families with members on opposite sides of the inter-Korean border.
The deal was reached after talks between the two sides ran through two nights. North Korea's main representative was Hwang Pyong So, a close adviser to dictator Kim Jong Un.