Director of National Security Chung Eui-yong presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Security Council at seven o’clock this morning.

The members of the NSC Standing Committee discussed measures to be taken in response to North Korea’s notification that it had postponed high-level inter-Korean talks slated for yesterday, May 16. They reaffirmed their position that the Panmunjeom Declaration agreed upon at the April 27 inter-Korean summit should be implemented as scheduled. They also decided to continue consultations with the North to resume high-level talks between the two Koreas at the earliest possible date.

In addition, they came to a decision to empoy various channels between South Korea and the United States as well as between the two Koreas to closely coordinate the different stances of the two countries so that the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit can proceed successfully and with a spirit of mutual respect.

The members of the Standing Committee also agreed to carry out upcoming inter-Korean schedules as planned, including the observing of the dismantlement of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and preparations for joint events marking the anniversary of the inter-Korean summit of June 15, 2000, according to the spirit of the Panmunjeom Declaration.