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February 21, 1980

Telegram from the Romanian Embassy in Pyongyang to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, February 21, 1980, 057069, Secret

This document was made possible with support from ROK Ministry of Unification

To Comrade Ambassador Vasile Sandru,

 

The second meeting of the North and South Korean delegations, to discuss the preparation for the talks between the prime ministers of the two countries, took place in Panmunjom on February 19, 1980. We report the following:

 

1. Hyeon Jung Gik, chief of the North Korean delegation, declared during the press conference organized at the end of the meeting that the two sides had common or similar points of view regarding the problems that were discussed - the nature of the conferences, the number of delegates, the methods used for recording the meetings and informing the public opinion.

 

There are still disagreements about the meeting place and the agenda of the meetings between the prime ministers of North and South Korea. The North declined the South Korean proposal for the negotiations take place in Geneva motivating that a meeting between the prime ministers of the North and South Korea shouldn't take place in a third-party country; it is a meeting between countrymen to discuss internal problems and not a meeting between the prime ministers of different countries.

 

Regarding the initial proposal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea where it is mentioned the possibility for a meeting to take place in a third-party country, the North Korean side explained that it can be taken into consideration, but only in extreme cases and not as a norm.

 

In order to prevent any elements that would lead to the acceptance of the "theory of the two Koreas and the mutual recognition", the North Korean side insisted on every occasion that the meeting between the two prime ministers is an integral part of the multilateral contacts that will take place between North and South Korea.

 

The South Korean proposal for the agenda of the meeting between the two prime ministers to be established beforehand was declined. The North Korean side explained that the focus of a meeting where the promotion of the North-South dialogue and the reunification of the country will be discussed cannot be limited to fixed topics.

 

During the meeting the sides agreed on the following:

 

1. The meetings will be open as well as behind closed doors. The agenda will be agreed upon by the two sides every time.

 

2. Each side will receive a copy of the documents agreed upon and signed by both sides.

 

3. The method for recording the meetings will be chosen by each side: magnetic tapes, filming, and stenography.

 

4. The news broadcasts will be prepared under the scrutiny of both sides. In some cases, common news can be published.

 

5. The date of the meeting between the prime ministers will be set based on the development of the working sessions.

 

6. In the conference room, special signs/markings will not be used. Only the business cards of the two prime ministers will be displayed.

 

The next meeting will take place in Panmunjom in a South Korean building on March 4.

 

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea sides considers the results of the second meeting to be important and positive.

 

2. The Soviet and Chinese diplomats that went to Panmunjom to participate to the meeting between the North and the South expressed their confusion caused by the North Korean side's affirmation that the Korean problem is not an international problem. This contradicts the actions taken in the last few years by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea when it promoted the Korean problem as an international problem that depends on the peace and security in Asia and in the world.

 

A Chinese diplomat mentioned that in the context of the current complex situation in the area, as a result of the changes in the relations between China and the United States of America, China and Japan and the USSR and the United States of America, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is calling upon the forces of the nation to solve its internal problems alone more than ever to.

 

In the diplomatic circles in Pyongyang, it is rumored that Indonesia is ready to offer its services as a mediator between the two Korean sides, considering its good relations with Pyongyang and Seoul.

 

An agreement in this regard is indicated by the permanent presence of a large number of Indonesian diplomats, including the Indonesian ambassador in Pyongyang, to both of the meetings in Panmunjom between the representatives of North and South Korea.

 

Signed,

Paul Marinescu - Ambassador.

 

Report of the second meeting of the North and South Korean delegations, discussing the preparation for the talks between the prime ministers of the two countries.

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Archive of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Translated by Liz Gheorghe.

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2014-11-18

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ROK Ministry of Unification