3rd Round of UN Command-KPA Meeting Held Friday
USS Tuscon (SSN 770) transits the Pacific Ocean while leading a 13-ship formation July 26 ,2010. The Republic of Korea and the United States are conducting the combined alliance maritime and air readiness exercise “Invincible Spirit” in the seas east of the Korean peninsula from July 25-28, 2010. This is the first in a series of joint military exercises that will occur over the coming months in waters surrounding Korea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Adam K. Thomas)
The third colonel-level meeting between the UN Command and the Korean People’s Army occurred on Friday (30 July) in Panmunjom. After a two hour meeting, a 4th round was scheduled for 9 August, possibly to arrange a general-level session.
The American-led United Nations Command (UNC) and North Korea agreed to hold another working-level meeting early next month to arrange general-level dialogue on the sinking of a South Korean warship, an official for the UNC said.
The agreement was reached at the end of the third round of working-level military talks attended by colonels from the UNC and North Korea on Friday, the official said, adding that the meeting was held for about two hours at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
Meanwhile, there are rumors in the ROK of a recent cyber attack by the DPRK, which may or may not be related to the recent declaration of “sacred war”:
The presidential office is on alert against a cyberattack by North Korea after receiving intelligence reports, the Blue House said yesterday.
“The National Cyber Security Center [NCSC] obtained intelligence on a possible cyberattack from North Korea,” Blue House spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung told reporters. A relevant team at the Blue House is on emergency alert footing from Tuesday in cooperation with the NCSC, she added.
The possible cyberattack seems to be associated with the North’s threat of a “sacred war” to retaliate against the large-scale joint naval drills between South Korea and the United States in the East Sea, which ended yesterday, she added.
