By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PYONGYANG, North Korea – North Korea military officials and the U.S.-led UN Command met for talks at Panmunjom today.  It is the first time in seven years after the tension rises over North Korea planned rocket launch.  According to the U.N. Command, North Korea requested this meeting to discuss tension reduction on the Korean Peninsula.

During the talk, North Korea complained the forthcoming joint military exercises by South Korean and U.S. troops.  Froom March 9 to 20, South Korean and U.S. troops will hold the annual joint military exercise.  About 12,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and 14,000 from off-peninsula, along with South Korean forces will be involved in the exercise.  North warned US and South Korea to stop “provocations” in the area or face retaliation.  The United Nations Command said they discussed ways to ease tensions and agreed to further talks.

Fears of a border clash escalated as North Korea prepare to test a long-range missile for what it calls a satellite launch.  North Korea may launch the test missile in the middle of March to match the timing of the South Korea and U.S. joint military exercises, the Japanese newspaper, Sankei reported.  Satellite images show a launch pad is being prepared, the report cites an unidentified official at Japan’s Ministry of Defense.  South Korean news media also report North Korea is testing radar and other monitoring equipment in preparation for a satellite launch.  North Korea has rejected calls to give up the launch.

South Korea and US say the test missile could theoretically reach Alaska. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for “restraint”.  He says that no one forbids anyone to launch satellites, but on the other hand, we must understand what kind of missile this is.  At the same time, the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers agreed a rocket launch for any reason would violate a UN resolution passed after the last missile test in 2006.

For more information, please see:

AFP – North Korea, UN hold talks amid border tensions – 02 March 2009

CNN – Rare North Korea, U.N. talks last 32 minutes – 02 March 209

Korean Time – NK Holds Rare Meeting With UN Command – 03 March 2009

International Herald Tribune – South Korea’s Lee calls on North to stop missile plans – 03 March 2009

Voice of American – North Korea Requests Rare Meeting With UN Command – 02 March 2009

Voice of American – South Korea: North Testing Radar, Ahead of Planned Launch – 02 March 2009