Talks between military officials and southern North Korea abruptly ended Wednesday without reaching an agreement. This meeting between the two neighbors was the first since the deadly bombing in November of a South Korean island by forces from Pyongyang, which had heightened tensions between the two neighbors.
The delegation from North Korea crossed the border ten minutes after leaving the negotiating table, taking place since yesterday in a border village in the demilitarized zone. No official explanation was advanced to explain this sudden departure. An official with the Ministry of Defence South Korean Yonhap news agency quoted, attributed the failure of the meeting to "differences over the agenda." According to another official, quoted by YTN television, the atmosphere "was pretty emotional." South Korea demanded during the meeting that the North apologizes and pledges to punish those responsible for two serious incidents in 2010: the sinking of a corvette South Korean who killed 46 people, and the bombing of 23 November (4 people including 2 soldiers).
Pyongyang denies being behind the sinking, as acknowledged by an international investigation. As for the bombing, it was undertaken in retaliation for the South Korean military exercises in which shells were fired into the waters of North Korea, said North. Pyongyang wanted the meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday should make a commitment to "stop all military action could be interpreted as a provocation by the other party".
These talks were also to set the date, place and agenda of an upcoming meeting with high-level contacts, probably the ministers of defense. 
The delegation from North Korea crossed the border ten minutes after leaving the negotiating table, taking place since yesterday in a border village in the demilitarized zone. No official explanation was advanced to explain this sudden departure. An official with the Ministry of Defence South Korean Yonhap news agency quoted, attributed the failure of the meeting to "differences over the agenda." According to another official, quoted by YTN television, the atmosphere "was pretty emotional." South Korea demanded during the meeting that the North apologizes and pledges to punish those responsible for two serious incidents in 2010: the sinking of a corvette South Korean who killed 46 people, and the bombing of 23 November (4 people including 2 soldiers).
Pyongyang denies being behind the sinking, as acknowledged by an international investigation. As for the bombing, it was undertaken in retaliation for the South Korean military exercises in which shells were fired into the waters of North Korea, said North. Pyongyang wanted the meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday should make a commitment to "stop all military action could be interpreted as a provocation by the other party".
These talks were also to set the date, place and agenda of an upcoming meeting with high-level contacts, probably the ministers of defense.
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