2nd LD Writethru: UN chief hails high-level inter-Korean dialogue

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday welcomed a high-level dialogue between two sides of the Korean Peninsula, and encouraged "both sides to use the resumed discussions to pave the way for deescalating the situation" in the region.

"The secretary-general welcomes the high-level meeting between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which was held today," said a statement released here Saturday night by Ban's spokesman.

Ban "further takes note of the agreement that the discussions will be resumed tomorrow," the statement said.

Earlier on Saturday, representatives from Pyongyang and Seoul started high-level urgent contact in the truce village of Panmunjom to discuss the prevailing tense situation on the peninsula, the official KCNA news agency reported.

Attendants at the meeting include Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, Kim Yang Gon, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on the side of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Kim Kwan-jin, chief of the National Security Office and Hong Yong-pyo, unification minister on the side of the Republic of Korea.

The secretary-general "encourages both sides to use the resumed discussions to pave the way for deescalating the situation and promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," said the statement.

"He calls on the parties to redouble efforts to resolve differences through dialogue while refraining from taking any measure that is not conducive to dialogue," the statement added.

The meeting is the highest-level inter-Korean contact since South Korean President Park Geun-hye took office in February 2013. It comes amid escalated tensions caused by cross-border exchange of fire on Thursday over South Korea's propaganda broadcasts.

The DPRK warned that unless South Korea stops propaganda broadcasts in frontline areas before 5 p.m. Saturday (0800 GMT), it will take military actions. South Korea threatened stern retaliation against any further provocations.

The closed-door contact is now being held at the Peace House on the south side of Panmunjom. Reporters are kept out at the Unification Bridge waiting for the outcome of the contact.

Meanwhile, South Korean military are fully prepared for any possible strikes from the north. South Korea and the United States have raised Watchcon, or watch condition used to measure reconnaissance to handle threats from the north, to a higher level to more closely monitor the moves of DPRK forces.

The KCNA reported Friday evening that the DPRK frontline army has "wound up preparations for military action" and entered a wartime state, "waiting for an order of attack to destroy the war maniacs."

The move came after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country's frontline combined forces to enter a state of war from 5 p.m. Friday (0800 GMT).

On Friday, Ambassador An Myong Hun, the deputy permanent representative of the DPRK to the United Nations, told reporters here that provocative action by South Korea along the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) with the DPRK has brought the two nations to "the brink of war," threatening "strong military action" if Seoul does not halt its loudspeaker propaganda campaign.

The DPRK also sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the crisis, but there was no immediate response.

South Korea said its military on Thursday fired dozens of shells toward the DPRK, which Seoul said had earlier launched artillery shells twice into the south side in the western border. But the DPRK has strongly denied the accusation.

The shelling intensified the already heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On Aug. 4, two South Korean soldiers were maimed after the explosion of three wooden-box landmines, which South Korea claimed had been planted by DPRK forces. Pyongyang denied any role in the incident.

From Aug. 10, the South Korean military resumed propaganda broadcasts with loudspeakers for the first time over the past 11 years in frontline units, causing threats from the DPRK that it would strike the loudspeakers harshly. Endi