Talks avoid military escalation between the two sides. The South Korean government will stop border propaganda against the Pyongyang regime. North says "sorry", but does not apologize for the wounding of two of the South’s soldiers. Seoul maintains a defensive position for fear of further provocations.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Calm has returned between Seoul and Pyongyang, after days of tension escalated into an exchange to artillery fire on August 20 and the declaration of a state of war by the North.

After marathon talks held in the demilitarized zone of Panmunjom, representatives of the two countries reached an agreement that averts the military escalation but leaves many issues unresolved.

According to the joint statement, the South has agreed to turn off loudspeakers along the border used to broadcast propaganda against the North. In recent days, the regime in Pyongyang had protested the use of loudspeakers and demanded an official apology from Seoul.

The broadcasts resumed last week after 11 years of silence, in apparent response to the wounding of two soldiers, the transmissions are intended to give information to the North Korean military deployed along the border and those who live in the area.

The speakers were turned off at noon today local time, simultaneously with the cancellation of the “war footing” declared last week by the "Marshal" Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang has expressed "regret", but not an official apology, for the wounding of the two South Korean soldiers at the border - while denying any involvement in the incident - and withdrawn troops stationed at the border.

For the South Korean president Park Geun-hye, the agreement "could be an opportunity to resolve all outstanding issues" between the two Koreas, countries still formally at war because a peace agreement was never signed at the end of the conflict in 1953.

In the context of the talks, the two governments have agreed to resume work to allow further reunification of families separated by the war, a point that has always been a source of controversy. However, the South Korean Defense Minister Kim Min-seok said that the country will maintain "a defensive position" to "meet new, possible provocations" from North.

Analysts and experts on Korean issues point out that the terms of the agreement were predictable and desirable. However, this time the tension lasted longer than in previous years and it is unclear how much the situation was exploited by the government or the result of misunderstanding and tension between two fronts that are both well-armed and in a situation of permanent confrontation.

• KOREA
• NORTH
• SOUTH
• TALKS
• tensions
• border
• propaganda
• army
• regime