Inter-Korean Meeting

[Anchor Lead]

An inter-Korean meeting of high-ranking officials is set for Monday on the North Korean side of Panmunjeom. The participants are expected to discuss the specific schedule and venue of the upcoming summit.

[Pkg]

North Korea contacted the South Thursday morning. The call was about holding high level talks on the 13th at Tongilgak on the Northern side of Panmunjeom. All three such meetings held during the Moon Jae-in administration's term were initiated by Seoul. This marks the first one proposed by Pyongyang. South Korea started organizing a team around Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon as the chief delegate. Just like the last three sessions, Ri Son-gwon, head of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country of DPRK, will lead the North Korean side. According to the South Korean government, discussions on this administration's third inter-Korean summit will take place between the high-ranking officials.

[Soundbite] Baik Tae-hyun (Unification Ministry Spokesperson) : "We will discuss in-depth with N. Korea the ways to expedite the implementation of the Panmunjeom Declaration and all the requirements needed to hold a successful inter-Korean summit."

They're expected to hammer out a detailed schedule and venue for the summit slated for this fall. Progress of the Panmunjeom Declaration implementation is also a key topic at the meeting. Another likely agenda is holding a concert and an inter-Korean basketball game in Seoul this fall. The same events were hosted by Pyongyang earlier. The South Korean government vowed to do all it can to continue inter-Korean dialogue through the upcoming high-ranking officials' meeting and build a permanent peace system on the Peninsula.