by Theresa Kim Hwa-young

After five days of heated talks, Seoul and Pyongyang agree to test run cross border railways. In exchange North gets 400,000 tonnes of rice.

Kaesŏng (AsiaNews) – After five days of heated discussions, the two Koreas yesterday agreed to test run their cross-border railways and soon begin talks on the military guarantees for the operation. Seoul also agreed to send 400,000 tonnes of rice to the North.

Direct talks were interrupted in July last year because of North Korea's missile launches. Seoul reacted by suspending its humanitarian aid to the Communist regime, including 100,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 500,000 of rice.

In the North Korean capital the two sides signed a 10-point agreement that improve military co-operation in order to actualise a military safety guarantee prior to test run the railways.

The meeting on security was held last Tuesday in Kaesŏng, home of the joint industrial park, itself the subject of an agreement to hold working-level talks to discuss ways of facilitating customs, telecommunication and other matters for its further development.

• koreas
• north
• south
• kaesŏng
• 10-point
• agreement
• rice
• fertiliser
• joint
• industrial
• park