For the past two days, South Korean civic groups representing people from all walks of life were at North Korea's Geumgang-san Mountain, meeting their North Korean counterparts... to talk about ways to expand inter-Korean exchanges.
Oh Jung-hee reports.
Starting a new year on the Lunar calendar, representatives from South and North Korean civic groups gathered at North Korea's Geumgang-san mountain on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The aim of the event was to discuss the further deepening of interactions and exchanges between the two Koreas on various fronts.
From South Korea, there were about two-hundred representatives from fields including the academics, culture and labor... plus a few lawmakers.
There were about 100 representatives from the North.
South Koreans were more proactive in proposing joint projects.
On the labor front, South Korean representatives proposed holding a joint event for laborers.
On the religious side, monks invited their North Korean counterparts to Seoul for Buddha's Birthday, and suggested a joint temple stay program at a North Korean temple.
The North Koreans responded positively to those proposals.
But, according to the South Korean attendees, the North Korean representatives generally stressed the need to resume operations at the two Korea's joint factory park, the Gaeseong Industrial Complex,... and South Korean tours to the North's Geumgang-san Mountain.
They also emphasized that international sanctions on North Korea should be lifted.
The two sides adopted a joint letter of appeal where they called for efforts to activate inter-Korean exchanges.
During the letter's drafting, South Koreans tried to include their support for Pyeongyang's denuclearization, but the North Koreans refused, saying it's a matter to be discussed by their respective leaders.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.