남북, 오늘 공동연락사무소서 산림회담 개최... 병해충 방제•양묘장 현대화 등 논의<br />South and North Korea are holding talks on forestry cooperation today at the joint liaison office in Gaeseong, just north of the border.<br />It's one of several rounds of talks the two Koreas agreed to hold at their high-level talks last week.<br />Oh Jung-hee reports. <br />Delegations of South and North Korea are meeting on Monday at the joint liaison office set up in North Korea's border town of Gaeseong... to discuss forestry cooperation.<br />It's one of several rounds of inter-Korean talks agreed to be held by the two Koreas at their high-level talks last week,... other discussions for medical care, sports exchanges, and war-torn families are coming up later this month or next month.<br /><br />Seoul and Pyeongyang are sending three-member delegations for Monday's forestry talks.<br />Seoul's delegation is led by Park Jong-ho, the Deputy Minister of the Korea Forest Service... and Pyeongyang is led by Kim Song-jun from the North's Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection.<br />According to Seoul, the two sides will be discussing not only urgent issues like controlling diseases and pests and modernizing North Korea's tree nurseries... but also those that require long-term attention... like restoring the overall ecosystem along the Korean Peninsula.<br />Through the talks, South and North Korea may come up with schedules for joint inspections on disease and pest control... and determine where to set up tree nurseries.<br /><br />This is the second time Seoul and Pyeongyang are meeting for forestry talks.<br />Their first meeting was in early July, which led to a joint survey at North Korea's Mount Geumgang in early August.<br />Seoul is especially keen to foster forestry cooperation with North Korea... as that's the area least influenced by international sanctions imposed on the North.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
