2nd LD Writethru: S. Korea, DPRK agree to hold vice ministers' meeting on Dec. 11

South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed to hold a vice ministerial-level meeting next month in the DPRK's border city of Kaesong, Seoul's unification ministry said Thursday.

A unification ministry official said by phone that the two sides agreed to hold the inter-governmental dialogue on Dec. 11 at the Kaesong industrial complex in the namesake city.

Chief delegates from both sides will be vice ministerial-level officials, and the number of delegation will depend on each side's convenience, the official said.

On the agenda of the vice ministers' meeting will be issues on improving inter-Korean relations.

Preparations and necessary procedures for the upcoming inter-governmental talks will be discussed between the two sides through the liaison office in the truce village of Panmunjom.

The agreement was reached after marathon talks between working-level officials from the two sides at the Tongil House, an administrative building on the north side of Panmunjom.

The working-level contact, which kicked off at 12:50 p.m. local time (0350 GMT) Thursday, was held to discuss the timing, venue, agenda and the rank of representatives for inter-governmental talks, which the two Koreas agreed in late August to hold.

The contact started later than scheduled time of 10:30 a.m. as it took time to build a temporary communications line in the venue.

The dialogue continued for more than 10 hours due to differences over details for the inter-governmental talks. Enditem