[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Documents of inter-Korean talks held in the 1970s have been made public for the first time.
The Ministry of Unification announced on the 4th that it has publicly released for the first time Volumes 2 and 3 of the "Collection of Inter-Korean Dialogue Materials," which contain records of inter-Korean talks from August 1970 to August 1972, covering about two years.
The documents, totaling 1,652 pages, comprehensively cover the process from the initial opening of dialogue between the North and South through Red Cross talks after the division, to the 25 preliminary inter-Korean Red Cross meetings.
Included are details of the first to fifth contacts between inter-Korean Red Cross delegates, a total of 25 preliminary inter-Korean Red Cross meetings, agenda drafts (1st to 13th meetings), and working-level meeting contents on procedural matters (1st to 3rd meetings).
It was also confirmed that the talks between the North and South delegations, who sat face-to-face in an official setting for the first time in 26 years since the division in 1945, ended in about three minutes after a tense standoff.
The Ministry of Unification stated that the first agreement between the North and South authorities was the agreement on the procedures for preliminary talks signed in September 1971, which still serves as the basic framework for the operation of talks today.
It was also confirmed that during the first five-point agreement in 1972 to resolve the separated families issue, the two sides had a tense dispute over the phrase "free."
An official from the Ministry of Unification emphasized the significance, saying, "The most important aspect is the minutes, and this is the first time that materials have been released without omitting any statements made at the time."
However, it is known that about one-quarter of the 1,652 pages containing personal information were withheld from disclosure during this release process.
The negotiation between the then Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Lee Hu-rak, and Kim Young-ju, head of the Party Organization Guidance Department in the North, which led to the announcement of the July 4, 1972, North-South Joint Statement, as well as talks involving Director Lee Hu-rak and then Premier Kim Il-sung, were not included in the disclosed documents.
The Ministry of Unification decided to disclose documents produced or received during the inter-Korean talks that are over 30 years old to enhance the public's right to know and transparency in North Korea policy implementation.
The Ministry of Unification also stated that following this initial release, it is considering sequentially disclosing documents of talks from 1970 to 1981 within this year.
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